


the secrets that we sold were never known; the love we had, we had to let it go

by sheeriously



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternative Universe - The Secret Circle (2011) Fusion, Angst, Choking Mentioned, M/M, Mentions of Narry, Minor Character Death, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, Omega Perrie, Past Abuse, Unrequited Love, death mention, harry as adam conant, in the end it is a larry fic i promise, louis as cassie blake, niall as diana meade, only at the beginning and very very little narry i promise, perrie as faye chamberlain, zayn as jake armstrong
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-08 14:34:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 46,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13460280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheeriously/pseuds/sheeriously
Summary: Louis is an omega who has never known his family other than his mother and after his loss, he moves to his aunt's house. A group of teenagers who claim to have Louis in their pack because he belongs there and more to know other than the pack he's destined to: From the unknown attraction between him and Harry to his own pure blood and breed.'The Secret Circle' inspired A/B/O AU.





	1. pilot

**Author's Note:**

> the title comes from the song 'hurricane' by 30 seconds to mars  
> 'the secret circle' has always been one of my favorite tv shows which got cancelled after its first season, it inspired me to write my very first a/b/o au. the storyline goes pretty much the same but as wolves and hunters, rather than witches and hunters as it takes in the tv show. --also i didn't read the book series, the fic is only based on the tv version.  
> a very important note: english isn't my first language and i'm trying my best with the proofreading but if you ever come across with a mistake (of any kind) please do let me know, i'd be so glad x

            Louis has always wanted to get out of the town they were living in, but it had never been just a town that they’ve moved in. He felt like he never really knew who his mother was or what was she trying to do while dragging both of them to different cities, towns and even villages around United Kingdom. He used to think it was all because of her job, that she had to change places as if she was getting called by different areas to work. But no, she was simply a nurse who should’ve been a local one and stay in a place to never leave again. He tried to question her about this but all she ever did was to simply ignore or change the subject, just like she used to with the topic about his father.

            But then his dreams and ambitions of being accepted in university have started, after turning eighteen and being allowed to be on his own legally, he would start wherever he wanted to study and live there more than two years (because the course he’s been dreaming of has complete 3 years). He loved everything about art and its different areas such singing, drawing and dancing. Since he was a little baby, he was always singing and dancing around the house as Jay used to tell him. Moving in and out of multiple houses was also hard for his mother, she clearly didn’t want it as well. She used to tell him that his singing and dancing have always made it feel like home, wherever they would have to stay, it would warm her heart and make her forget about everything stressful.

            Because moving in and out was an issue quite a lot, he’s never got the chance to sing in a show or being involved to any kind of musical that took place in a local theatre. The rehearsals of the shows would take about a year and the staging would happen at least for 5 months, which meant that he wasn’t able to sign up or get involved in these type of things. Jay truly wanted his son to shine on his own, to show his talent to others but she had no choice other than running away for his safety.

            He wished he was able to sing or dance now, in order to cheer himself up and not only that but to collect himself out of the million pieces which he was broken into. He didn’t just lose his mother, because her mother was everything to him. His best and closest friend that he could and would only ask for. He had never felt shy around her, told her any kind of crushes he used to get while he was in high school.

Then Louis met _him._ His first love, an alpha named Andrew. He first got Louis by his bright green eyes that Louis used to look at deeply into. Also his sweet smile, he was generally sweet: He used to make Louis smile huge and make him laugh with his humor. Everything didn’t go that sweet after all. He started to get aggressive, never physically abused or laid a finger on Louis but the thing was, he didn’t have to. His jealousy towards anyone around Louis and to Louis himself made him feel even more insecure. At one point, Louis didn’t have any friend other than him because he was tired of being accused from his boyfriend to any type of friend he’s got.

Louis got all of the damage he could, he was only sixteen after all and was still feeling drained and emotionally unstable. One of the most important and best things that his mother has done for him was to make him realize all kinds of crap Andrew was making him do, how much he was hurting him and manipulating him. She had always wished for him to leave his boyfriend. After getting a call from the policeman, getting informed about the accidental fire that took his whole house caught in as well as his mother, he called Andrew telling him that he wanted to break up and he wouldn’t consider getting back together because _he was done with the shit he was putting Louis through, almost killing him._

The letters from the universities he had applied to before came back a month later after his loss. Out of five of them, he got accepted into three. While deciding on which one he should go, he got a call from his unknown aunt. At first, he thought it was a real bad prank on him, possibly made by his ex or his ex’s friends. So he hung up on the woman and never accepted the call even though he got at least eleven calls after. It wasn’t her last try, two days later Louis found her right in front of him, at the door. He had no choice other than accepting her inside, he smelled her as an alpha, unlikely to her mother who was an omega. Losing his mother affected Louis to be more insecure than he already was, especially about being an omega, so that he thought he wouldn’t be able to fight an alpha and he let his “aunt” to come inside.

Her face seemed pretty similar to his own mother, but he still couldn’t be sure because he thought he was over emotional to find similarities on everything possible to Jay. His aunt, Rach, had told him everything that she knew about his mother leaving where her and Jay grew up and used to live in. She told him that she didn’t know the whole story detailed as well, and to prove that she was actually Jay’s sister, she brought multiple photos with her. One of them included both Rach and Jay at a very young age, possibly going to high school. Seeing his mother’s face left an ache on his heart, he smiled through the pain and thinking how much he actually missed her.

The other photo was the real evidence in Louis’ opinion. Louis was a baby in the photo, in the arms of Rach right next to Jay, two of them smiling and Louis looking up at his mother. He has always been his mom’s son, very spoiled and loved because Jay could be the best mother in the whole universe. She offered him to stay at her house, she was living at Yorkshire where Jay used to live and had given birth to Louis, and had left pretty short after. He said he would consider it after thanking her, also having his university acceptances on his mind.

He gave himself full three months, after signing up to be a student in the University of Leeds, taking the Art and Design course. He was getting financial support by the government because he didn’t have a mother or a father and the school helped him with giving him a scholarship as well. When he realized he still needed a place to stay, he started to actually consider staying at his aunt’s. He didn’t even need to mention it for Rach to offer again, so he gladly took the offer and packed up his things to move into his aunt’s house. She insisted to pick him up from the house he was leaving, but he felt like he needed to be alone while doing this. So he drove his car from Brighton, to Yorkshire by himself. Did everything he could to stay focused on the road and not to cry his heart out, because he was leaving as he was wishing for years to stay at somewhere for at least 3 years. He was feeling regretful but not at its most because he was feeling the actual regret for leaving the house that day, and her mother being the only one who died from the fire.

*

            Rach was so glad to see him. Hugged him tightly right after he arrived at the door and didn’t even give him a chance to put down his suitcase. He didn’t have many things with him to bring here, most of his clothes were burnt into ashes when the fire had happened. He tried to be wise and bought enough clothes with the support money he got from the government, and was able to cook anything with any amount so food wasn’t really a problem while he was living on his own for three months. After pulling himself out of his aunt’s tight hold, he realized the woman had tears on her eyes, he didn’t want to question if they were because of pity or pain just like Louis was feeling about his loss.

            “Let me show you your room,” she said softly, while trying to wipe her tears quickly. “This house is actually where your mother and I had grew up in.” Louis got his suitcase on his hand again, walking on the way she was leading him to, upstairs. “After your grandmother died, I was the only one who was living in here,” she slowly turned around to look at him, smiled but mostly in pain. “But now that you’re here, I’m very glad.”

            The woman was actually pretty sweet to him, and he was sure it wasn’t just for him but in general. She was very caring and loving, tried her best to help Louis as if she wasn’t upset or sad about losing his sister who she couldn’t see for eighteen years. Louis felt selfish for not trusting her at first and still, time to time questioning her intentions.

            Rach stopped right in front of a room, slowly opened its door to show inside. “This was your mother’s room,” she said in a low voice. “Neither I or your grandmother had touched any of her stuff, left it like it was there before by your mother.” Louis stepped inside the room, feeling unsure, slowly looking around and observing. “Your mother’s choice of style was very unisex, so I didn’t feel the need to change the color or anything.”

            Louis was more than okay with that. “I wouldn’t have mind if the room was full of pink,” he said with a shaking voice. “Because it would be still hers and she didn’t teach me to love all of the colors no matter what for nothing and that a gender wouldn’t change anything.”

            She smiled at him, understanding what he meant. “Do you need any help with unpacking?”

            “No, thank you,” he said while trying to smile politely. “I will do the rest by myself.”

            She nodded, heading towards to the door right after, wanting leaving him alone and give time. “Whenever you need me, just call my name or come down stairs.”

            “Thanks again,” he said, looking at her figure at the door thoughtfully. He realized she was as nervous as him, and it somehow made him feel more comfortable. “For everything.”

            She shook her head, not accepting the grace of all the help she has done and was ready to do for Louis. “Of course, Louis, anytime for anything.”

            He felt the warm drops of tears streaming down on his face right after the door was closed. He wanted to sob and cry, curl up in a ball on the floor to cry his heart out. But he wiped the tears on his cheeks, put his suitcase on the bed and opened it afterwards. Going to the closet without a single thought wasn’t the smartest idea of his, seeing all of the clothes which once belonged to his mother made his heart ache even more as if it was possible. Before coming up with an idea, he asked his aunt’s opinion. They decided to get all of the clothes out to be put in his grandmother’s closet which had all of the clothes of her being as well. He didn’t question or pity on Rach, because he would’ve done the same thing about keeping them.

*

            “Are you nervous about starting into university?”

            Louis actually smiled without a hint of sarcasm or any type of humiliation, he was feeling pretty closer to his aunt even from the very first day now. “How could I not be?” He sighed, but calmly. “It was my biggest dream, with this course and living stable in somewhere but now, I feel like I could throw up in any minute.”

            His aunt softly giggled, joining his laugh. “Of course, I remember my first day at university.”

            It was the usual type of tryout on icebreaking and bonding, Louis didn’t complain and actually felt much better seeing her trying and actually caring about him. “How was it like?”

            “Well, how I was feeling was just the same as you,” she smiled at him. “Ready to puke anytime, nervous and shy… But your mother encouraged me into talking people who were taking the same course as me, and the classes.”

            “Really?” Louis said curiously, straightened his position up on the couch, right next to her. “What did she do?”

            “Well, she told me there was no reason to be shy because people around the campus probably weren’t even aware of my existence –or anyone’s actually. So why would I bother to always think about what would someone think of me rather than actually living on it by the way I wanted?”

            Louis couldn’t help to smile, his mother was always loving and intelligent. He quickly remembered the time when he was starting to high school, and she told her how sure she was that Louis would get so many friends for his own. And he actually did, until they had to move somewhere else again. But Louis never stopped making friends, even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to see them for less than a year. The thought of his mother being sure of his friendliness gave him all of the courage he needed, and he was ready to do it for tomorrow at the campus as well.

            Rach looked at the clock and put her hand over his shoulder softly and carefully, “It might be better for you to go upstairs and get ready for bed,” she said, trying not to sound annoying. “Tomorrow is the big day.”

            Louis nodded his head while standing up from the couch, they smiled at each other and wished goodnight. The room was leaving a strange feeling on Louis but the slight reeked smell of his mother somehow gave him comfort. He was about to pull his shirt up to change into his pajamas but the open curtains of his window stopped him. He slowly walked over the window to realize the girl standing right in front of the house, his new neighbor. She had dark skin and darker hair which was long. Louis hoped that she was politely smiling, so he tried to smile back before closing the curtains to cover the window. He quickly turned his back to the window and pulled of his shirt, putting the shirt back in closet and now wearing the top of his pajama.

            He felt how tired he was after getting into the bed, under the heavy but soft sheets. He closed his eyes and imagined his mother smiling right next to him, wishing him all the good things for tomorrow, on his first day of starting university. She would be proud, he wished her to be proud of him and what he was going to do in these three years.

*

            He wasn’t sure if it would be better to mention the girl he saw last night, across their house. She seemed to have no harm but it was still creepy for Louis to see her in the middle of the night, standing in front of the window and staring at him. He couldn’t remember if she was smiling or not.

            “Who is the girl who lives across the house?” He asked without thinking, he didn’t want to sound as rude as it has turned out, he was simply curious about the way she stared at him.

            “That would be our neighbor, Waliyha,” she said while shrugging her shoulder. “She’s a beta and I think she goes to Leeds as well.”

            He nodded at her then went to the door, taking his backpack with him. He was going to drive himself to the campus, he was glad that Rach didn’t even bother to ask if he wanted to have a ride to school. He would appreciate but it would be weird for him considering the whole different type of life in the university. They said goodbye’s to each other, Louis letting her know that he would text or call her if something happens. He still was feeling nervous but excited as well, thinking about all of the classes he was going to take in this year simply left a joyful feeling on his stomach. He smiled through the whole ride to his campus without even realizing. His aunt’s house was even closer than he thought it was, so he wouldn’t have any issues in the future.

            He got into the parking area where it was only open for students, he showed his student ID to the security guard and then looked for a place to park his car. Just as the thought he saw an empty place to park, a car drove fast enough to stop him from going and taking the empty space he once claimed to park. He felt like he was going to throw up, not only he thought he was going to crash his car but also seeing the rude attitude from that person for a simple empty car space… Louis wasn’t sure if he was feeling as excited as he was before while driving here. It wasn’t so hard to find another empty space after because it was pretty early, most of the people probably haven’t left their houses yet. He got his keys and then himself out of the car with his legs shaking and feeling wobbly. He tried to think if the person didn’t mean to or showed attitude intentionally, however she was right in front of her.

            “You’re new here,” she said, as if she was offended by Louis being there.

            He tried to smile, mostly not to cry. “Isn’t everybody?” It was his first year of university and he was pretty sure that he wasn’t the only one who was a freshman. Besides, she looked as young as Louis did, maybe a year older but Louis didn’t think so.

            “No,” she said in a firm voice. “You’re new in Yorkshire.”

            Louis gulped hard, he didn’t even know why he was nervous around an omega with the same age, “Oh,” he said. “Yes, I just moved here to study in Leeds.”

            “Okay,” she simply said, as if she wasn’t just trying to create a scene in the middle of parking earlier. “The name is Perrie,” she didn’t offer her hand in order to shake hers with Louis. And the way she introduced herself to him was a bit strange, he didn’t mean to be sure so he tried not to question her.

            He tried to smile politely instead. “My name is Louis, _glad_ to meet you.”

            She didn’t say anything back or smiled like Louis did to her. Just took one more glance at Louis and his whole posture, left him there without saying anything. Louis felt confused and creeped out, the same as he felt last night with Waliyha. People around here were a bit different than he was used to and this was more confusing to him: He wanted to believe it was because he just moved to here but no, he had been to many places and always had the weird adapting phase –never in this way.

            After being sure of not seeing Perrie anywhere around, he started walking to leave parking area as well. He had so many things to do and that’s why he came here so early. He needed to find the chancellor as his aunt suggested, he was a friend of his mother’s back then and he’s told Rach that he would be glad to help Louis out on his experience during university. After meeting him, he needed to find where were all of the classes he was taking took place in. The main building of the campus had so many stairs and Louis wasn’t sure which floor he should be going for, luckily, there was a help desk right at the entrance of the building.

            “Excuse me,” he said in a gentle voice, catching the attention of the woman who was sitting behind the desk. “I’m looking for Desmond Styles, I believe he is the Chancellor of this university.”

            The woman politely smiled at Louis while nodding her head slowly, “Yes,” she said, while standing up from her chair to lead Louis. “I believe you are Louis as he mentioned. Please follow me, dear.”

            They went to the second floor by the stairs and stopped in front of the door, as Louis took a glance at it, his eye caught the written name right next to door as “Styles”. He bit his lip and then looked at the woman who was helping him. She smiled before knocking on the door, after her second try the door was opened but by a person who looked way younger than Louis had imagined.

            “Oh, Mister Styles,” the woman said, kind of surprised. “I didn’t expect you to be here, I’m sorry. Excuse us, this is Louis Tomlinson. He has come here to meet with your father.”

            Then Louis understood why the man in front of him looked younger, and actually could be at the same age with him. The boy nearly flinched at the name but Louis tried to ignore it, find an excuse that he didn’t flinch and Louis just saw it differently as wrong. Then he looked at Louis, his warm green eyes meeting with Louis’ and Louis really didn’t like the way his eyes shined. It reminded him someone that he wouldn’t want to remember or mention again. “He can come in, my father is going to be a little late.”

            She bowed her head after nodding at him, smiled at Louis and left both of them alone. Louis didn’t know what to do, he looked at the floor he was in and eyes searched if there were any seat or chair to sit and wait. It would be okay even if there weren’t. He just wanted to see his schedule and meet with the man as he wished for.

            “Hi,” Harry said, he was trying to get the attention of Louis and he looked pretty desperate actually. Smiled when Louis finally could take off his eyes from the ground to his face. “My name is Harry Styles, I’m Desmond’s son.”

            Louis reached out for the hand which was standing up for him, held his hand and tried not to do it tightly. “Louis,” he could say simply, in a low and very shy voice.

He tried to ignore the feeling of electricity when their hands touched with each other’s. He tried to control his nostrils, they were glaring at the Alpha’s smell to get more of it, thought he could get high on the way he smelled for a second. They were both still holding hand through the silence. The weird thing wasn’t the silence between them, it was that neither of them feeling awkward about the silence. It was actually peaceful, both of them staring and smelling each other while holding warm hands together. Louis did everything he could to escape from his eyes, everything was already intense enough and he somehow knew it wouldn’t make a difference if they weren’t holding hands as well. It was like they didn’t have to be connected physically to feel the energy between them because they were already connected emotionally. And all Harry wanted was to see his blue eyes and look into them, Louis however didn’t give in.

He pulled his hand out of Harry’s slowly, was nearly asking his permission but without speaking. Harry felt like he came back into the reality, losing his touch made him feel like he woke up from a beautiful, peaceful dream but feeling the worst way because it was all over. Louis almost felt selfish at the thought of never letting go of Harry’s touch.

Everything was so confusing, he just met Harry and didn’t even know who really was other than being the son of chancellor. But his smell gave him all of the comfort and trust he could ask for, was questioning if he would ever feel like this again in his lifetime. But then he realized how wrong the situation was, Louis must’ve been pretty emotional about his mother to feel like falling for someone he just met seconds ago. Harry didn’t deserve this, or nobody would deserve this.

A little cough interrupted both of them, probably drowning in million thoughts and gazing at each other. “Hello, son,” a firm voice said, also made Louis look towards the man as well. He was smiling, looked very joyful as if he just won the lottery. Louis observed the way Harry’s soft look turn into frown, he wasn’t mad but became very serious with the presence of his father. Then Louis started to question himself and how he couldn’t smell the difference with another Alpha being in the room with them. He should be even more confused than he already thought he was.

“You must be Louis,” he said while slowly walking over to them. He nodded his head while observing Louis’ face and smiling. “You really do look like _her._ ”

Harry must’ve felt the way Louis tensed up, so he interrupted with a warning voice, “Dad.”

Desmond smiled at his son, almost looking innocent. “Yes, son?” asked with a hint of playfulness in his voice. “You didn’t tell him, I guess.”

“Tell me what?” Louis shut his mouth with his hand quickly, eyes grew big as he felt so embarrassed with himself and rudely he just spoke. “Excuse me, I’m really sorry. I just would like to know what you were talking about, sir.”

Desmond didn’t seem offended as Louis thought he would get, he smiled even bigger actually which was strange. “Your mother and I were meant to be,” he said simply, like it wasn’t a big deal or he was just proposing something very crazy. “Our family stars are lined with the destiny of being together, and your mother and I were meant to be.”

“Dad,” Harry said, without growling in order to keep himself from being disrespectful. But Louis agreed as well, the man in front of him was crossing the line. “Please, don’t.”

“But my father is Mark, as my mom told me before,” he said curiously, looking straight at the man while slowly frowning.

He smiled but his eyes looked broken inside, he bit his lip while slowly nodding, “You are right,” he said. “And that’s what hurts me the most. We were meant to be but couldn’t be together, because of your father and I-”

            “That’s enough,” Harry said in a hurry which actually helped Desmond to realize what he was doing, making Louis more than uncomfortable. The thing was, Louis was more uncomfortable about the fact that he really didn’t know anything about his mother’s past and this man could say anything and he would either believe it without questioning or he wouldn’t believe it without even considering it. Because he only knew the mother he saw as he grew up, she had so many secrets and going through a lot which she never informed Louis about. Maybe it was his chance to learn about Jay now.

            He seemed like he was thinking something, couldn’t say anything towards his son. Just looked at the ground with the silence. Harry was still furious with him, his behavior on Louis made him mad and he didn’t even know why. It was disrespectful but not that Louis was _his_ omega or anything.

            “I will show you around,” Harry said in a low voice, trying to remain calm to relax Louis as well. He went to the printer in the office, took out the freshly printed course schedule and gave it to Louis. Louis dropped his eyes low to the paper, it was also an advantage to escape from Harry’s deeply concerned stare.

            He shook his head, “You don’t have to…”

            “I will,” Harry said, then realized how mad he sounded like. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, “Please let me.”

            Louis had no other choice so he nodded his head while taking Harry’s lead after him. He knew his acceptance was different, he felt like he had no other choice when he let his aunt Rach come inside because she was an Alpha; but this time, he knew he had no other choice than to follow Harry and let him show around the campus, he felt like there was a rope between them and he wouldn’t be able to separate from him anymore.

*

            The silence during the ride was even deeper than the one they had in Desmond’s office and Louis realized that they didn’t have to stare at each other to feel this electricity type of attraction between them. He was uncomfortable on his seat, right next to Alpha’s side. His smell was distracting, he was holding back his whines that got stuck in his throat. As if Harry was listening to his mind, he opened one of the windows in the car a bit. But then Louis realized his smell might be distracting Harry as well. He felt his cheeks heating up, because it was impossible that Harry felt this attraction or the only thing he could think was the way Louis smelled. No.

            “What are you studying?” The silence was too much and Louis really wanted to know him more.

            Harry smiled politely, “I’m going to study Law,” he said, with a calmer voice than he had in Desmond’s office. “This is my first year as well.”

            “Oh,” Louis said, then suddenly feel worried about him being late to his classes. “If my building is far away from yours, you can drop me off, I can walk as well. I’m pretty sure this campus has a map or something and-”

            “No need,” Harry said softly, interrupting him. “It’s actually pretty close and even if it wasn’t, that wouldn’t be a problem, I promise.”

            Louis silently nodded while blushing, he was gentle and kind but Louis still felt like he was making things harder for Harry. Thinking about Harry studying Law made him more curious. Since the Great War between the wolves and humans, it was a bit sensitive topic for everyone. So he felt secure enough to ask about it to Harry. “Why did you prefer Law?”

            Alpha thought for a moment before answering Louis which made him feel nervous as if he offended him in any kind of way. Then he started to think about what he’d answer if Harry was asking him why he preferred Art. He wouldn’t feel offended but wouldn’t know how to answer as well and if he would answer without thinking enough about it, his answer would sound aggressive and hurtful.

            “I believe in equality,” Harry said, which made Louis feel relieved that he finally started to answer. “And I believe it should be considered in any type of area. Being fair and being equal are two different things and people seem to confuse both of them a lot. Equality itself is harder to take than being fair to everybody, because you have to think of everyone included while being fair. Everyone has different needs and difficulties on their own but there should be simple rules to consider everyone in.” He looked at Louis for a second before going on and looking at the road again. “Kindness is important, being thoughtful –thinking before taking any kind of action and respecting everyone. I don’t know if you are one of those people who are rebellious and against to any type of ruling –because I used to be and I wouldn’t judge you if you are. But people do have something called ego, and even if you feel insecure and deal with issues such as self-hate, you still have an ego. From basic instincts of protecting yourself to showing yourself in a group of people.”

            Louis understood, he wasn’t trying to be flirty and look inside Harry’s mouth, believe the every word coming out of it. No, he really understood what Harry meant and thought he was amazing for having so many thoughts on this subject to choose Laws for studying.

            When the car started to slow down, Louis looked outside of the window after Harry pulled the car on side of the road. “Here,” Harry said softly. “If you want, I can go in the building with you and help you to find your classes as well…”

            “No,” Louis said quickly. Then blushed again, being furious at himself. “I mean, thank you, but bringing me here was more than enough so thank you. But I can do the rest by myself.”

            He nodded while smiling a bit. “Anytime,” he said genuinely. So Louis opened the car door to let himself out, he looked at Harry and smiled before closing the door behind him. While he was walking to the building, he felt eyes gazing behind him so he took a glance at his back quickly, seeing Harry still staring at him. Once he was at the entrance, about to go inside, he heard the motor of the car running. Second time he took a glance, the car was gone.

*

            After his last lecture that day, Louis was ready go back to his aunt’s house. He was pretty happy about his schedule, knowing he didn’t have any early lectures tomorrow made him smile tiredly. He was feeling good, he only had three of his classes today and as cliché as it would sound, studying what the person truly wants was something else –well, maybe until the final week. He couldn’t talk to anybody other than Harry and he wasn’t sure if he was able to speak again, a day without speaking was surely strange. Now he was hoping to see Harry again as he mentioned their buildings were close. Maybe his lectures were done for today as well and they could walk to the parking lot together. He didn’t think so, even if his classes were done.

            He took a deep breath, could be sigh as well, before starting to walk to the parking lot where he left his car to meet with Desmond Styles. It was a big campus, had many buildings and courses to study and he felt more pessimistic about having friends especially from his building. At the moment, he could sense he wasn’t very alone.

            “Hi there,” the voice wasn’t deep, but didn’t sound joyful as well. The Alpha who was standing right next to him, walking as well had a smell Louis couldn’t define but it definitely didn’t give him a secure feeling.

            He tried to smile and be polite but he was feeling afraid. “Hi.”

            “What took you here?” he said while smirking, as if he was going to come up with the best pick-up line ever. “There must be a good reason to make an angel come here without his wings.”

            “To study,” Louis simply said, feeling more than uncomfortable. “Like you, I assume.”

            His smirk grew bigger if Louis said something _nice_ to him. “How was your first day then?”

            Louis shrugged, wanting this conversation to be over. “It’s not over yet.”

            He laughed, so full of himself. “My name is Aiden,” He looked at him like he was waiting for Louis to say his own, but Louis wouldn’t do that especially when he wasn’t asked by this type of alpha. “Do angels have their own names?”

            “Not to be referred as angel by you, they would surely want their own names I assume,” He really did try not to be mean or aggressive towards the boy, but he was just getting on his nerves. “My name is Louis, please _do_ call me Louis.”

            Aiden didn’t even flinch, continued to smile. “A lovely name for a lovely Omega.”

            Louis didn’t remember a time that he was more relieved than he was in this moment, but he finally saw his car in the parking lot and he surely didn’t want this Alpha Aiden to come near his car to know which one is his. He stopped walking and looked at Aiden, “I’ve got to go now.”

            “Are you going to pull your wings out to fly now?” He was laughing, unlike Louis.

            Louis tried to smile, “I think that’s enough with angels, I’m pretty sure you’re offending some of them now.”

            Louis wasn’t even kidding or trying to make a joke to make him fucking laugh, but the insisted on laughing. But Louis really had to go now and he didn’t know how would pull himself out of his aura. Then he heard his voice, his warm, calming voice that he could only listen on repeat to fall asleep in the night.

            “Louis!”

            Aiden flinched at Harry who was coming over to them, then Louis thought angels would be actually offended by his presence because he might be an actual angel that Aiden couldn’t shut up about. “Hi, Harry,” Louis said, without even realizing he was smiling. Aiden wasn’t sure which one was more surprising, seeing Louis smile for the first time or Harry Styles walking over to them, indeed knowing who Louis was.

            “Is everything alright here, Aiden?” His voice was challenging, Louis would’ve thought he was threatening Aiden on something, but what for? Louis wasn’t even his omega or boyfriend, and they just met today.

            Aiden’s smile faded away. “More than alright actually, now that I’ve met Louis.”

            “I can see,” said while looking at a very uncomfortable Louis. “Do you need a ride home?”

            He already had a car which he drove here, but he really didn’t feel safe about showing both of the Alpha’s which car his was in the parking lot. So he played through it, as if he actually needed a ride home. He nodded his head while smiling at Harry. Then looked at Aiden who was still looking like he’s surprised. Then both of them went to get in Harry’s car. He had a truck type of car, its color was Louis’ favorite, red. But not a simple red, darker than blood red and it was looking like it just got a wash.

            “Was he bothering you?” he asked as soon as they were in the car, while putting his seat belt on. Harry’s eyes were full of concern and he couldn’t help but to frown at the thought of Aiden hurting Louis.

            Louis tried to smile, but failed. “A bit, but I don’t mean any harm or I’m not trying to be mean,” he took a deep breath before going on. “He was trying to talk to me, have a chat but I didn’t feel comfortable by his attitude. Kept calling me angel…”

            “That’s not alright,” Harry interrupted him, he was nearly growling and that made Louis hide in his seat. He realized the behavior of his, the voice he was using to be exact, “I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to. I just… Please know that you can tell someone if they’re making you uncomfortable. And Aiden… It’s best to stay away from him actually.”

            “It’s okay,” Louis said quickly, not even knowing which one he said it for. “I mean he really was trying to be nice and have a chat with me.”

            Harry didn’t say anything, he clearly felt mad but Louis didn’t know at what. Then he thought they might’ve had something from the past, maybe they’ve fought or cut off their friendship. But none of them made sense for him to be this mad. The car ride was even more quiet now, but Louis didn’t complain because somehow Harry calmed himself and now the way he smelled was relaxing Louis. As soon as they were getting closer to the house, Louis felt more upset about not seeing Harry until tomorrow. He wasn’t even sure if he would be able to chat with Harry again, or even talk.

            “Would you like to go somewhere?” Harry said, then corrected himself quickly to not sound rude or eager as Aiden did. “I mean it’s after a long day but… I have a _friend_ whose father has this tea house and we usually hang out there with others and, yeah, would you?”

            Louis didn’t want to go to his house and watch Harry leaving to go, so he nodded while smiling. “I would love to.”

            Suddenly, Harry started to smile as well. Then he started telling about the place more, “I hope you like tea because they have the most amazing tea there, I’m more of a black coffee guy, but I’d love to have some there.”

            Louis frowned at the thought of black coffee, or coffee in general. Because he was all about tea and the thought just made him excited. The tea house looked very cozy outside, he read the name “ _T 4 2”_ written at the top before entering the place and thought it was very lovely and unique. Harry leaded him the way, touching his back unsure. Louis didn’t tense up which was weird, because he wasn’t very good with being physical, not matter what kind of relationship it was.

            “I will go in the back, to the kitchen, to see if _he_ is there,” he informed Louis with concerned eyes. “Can you find a table for us to sit, please?”

            “Yes, of course,” Louis said quickly, nodding his head when he realized Harry waiting for the answer. Then watched Harry going to back. He felt lost and unsure about everything when Harry wasn’t near and it could be the most stupid thing he has ever thought of. Didn’t even reach 12th hour with him and he was attached. Then he stared inside of the tea house, multiple tables and some of them were already seated by people. He seated in the closest one, as soon as he sat down, quickly took out his phone out his pocket to text his aunt and letting her know that he’s coming later.

            “Hi, dear,” an Omega said to him, smiling very big with bright blue eyes. His brown hair was a bit messy but he still looked good and charming, friendlier than the Alpha he met earlier this day.

            He didn’t know what to say, “Hi,” he simply said back.

            “I’m Niall, this is my dad’s place. Welcome here.” He handed Louis a menu politely, while smiling huge.

            He took the menu from him, “My name is Louis,” he said before taking a glance at the menu he was given to.

            “Tomlinson?” he questioned as his eyes grew bigger. “I’m sorry, everybody just knows each other here… And I know your aunt, _we_ were told you were going to move in.”

            “Oh,” Louis felt relieved for a second. Him knowing his surname made him flinch and wanted to back away in a reflexive way. “I just couldn’t understand for a moment.”

            He politely smiled, feeling a bit of ashamed. “My apologies… You’re going to Leeds, as I’ve heard from your aunt.”

            Louis nodded. “Yes, and you?”

            “No, I’m going to York,” he said while shaking his head. “But my boyfriend goes to Leeds actually.”

            Louis was about to say he has met someone in Leeds and maybe he would know who he is as well, but then he remembered how Harry told him that his friend’s dad owned this place and he was going to look for him here. The pieces and questions in his mind were slowly moving, to place next to each other and to fit into a final piece. The final piece could be that Niall is the friend who Harry has mentioned before and the boyfriend Niall was referring to was Harry himself. Seeing Harry’s nervous face, looking at both of them was the actual answer.

            “Yeah, he brought me here,” he said without thinking. Realizing how wrong it sounded like, he quickly added. “To meet you, actually.”

            “Oh, you’ve already met him,” Niall said, smiling at Harry. It took more than it should’ve taken but Louis finally understood what Niall meant. Harry was dating with Niall. But how? I mean he wasn’t going to get mad at Harry about his crazy secret crush on him who he had knew for a day. He felt all of the sparkles around and he almost could say it was mutual, their attraction and the feelings, just everything. But then Niall was here, to be his omega or he already was, Louis didn’t know. He didn’t realize if Harry had a bonding mark or not, he was too busy staring at his eyes.

            Harry saw Niall smiling at him, took a quick glance at Louis just to check how his reaction was and tried to smile back at Niall which didn’t seem genuine at all. “You’re talking about me?”

            Niall seemed offended, the way Harry asked the question to Louis, but not to him. Louis was now questioning if they were actually together or it was a big fantasy of Niall that Harry felt like he had to play along with. That sounded cruel, even if it was on Louis’ mind, it was cruel and rude, and most likely unfair. Just because he was jealous and disappointed, he shouldn’t be thinking mean things about someone or their relationship.

            “Yes,” answered Niall, while trying to keep on smiling as if he could. “But you already have met each other, I assume.”

            Harry simply nodded, feeling nervous. “I was showing him around, since he just moved in here.” He held Niall’s hand, because Niall was waiting for him to hold. The hold between them didn’t seem tight, both emotionally and physically. “Should we have some tea?”

            “Yes, of course,” Louis said quickly, he felt like just found his voice to speak up because he still was shocked that Harry had a boyfriend. While he was checking out the menu, Louis realized the exchange between Niall and Harry while staring at each other. It was intense, not in a chemical way to tease each other or anything, they both glanced at each other knowingly as if they were actually talking. He tried to ignore it and then decided that he wanted a simple black tea, steeped.

            “So,” Niall said, smiling warm with a friendly voice. “Any reason why you chose Leeds and to move Yorkshire?”

            Louis put his hand over his neck nervously. “I lost my mother three months ago –moved to my aunt’s house,” said while looking up Niall whose smile was faded away. “And I’ve already applied to Leeds before that, so now I’m living with her and studying in Leeds.”

            “I’m sorry,” he said in a lower voice, feeling guilty he brought up the topic like that. The way Harry looked at Louis with full of concern made him feel even worse.

            Louis shook his head, and even put his hand over Niall’s to comfort him. “It’s alright, believe me,” he said while trying to smile. “I’m glad I’m here and met with both of you.”

*

            “I have to drop Louis off to his house,” Harry said while they were leaving the tea house.

            “Oh,” Niall said, gulping hard to not sound even more disappointed. “That’s alright, I just have to help my dad to clean out, but yes, please drove him to his house safely.”

            Harry nodded while leaning down to his face, kissing him on the cheek shortly, “I will.”

            “Goodnight,” Niall said to both of them, cracked a small smile. “And I’ll see both of you tomorrow.”

            Louis said it back while smiling at him, then followed Harry to his car. He frowned at the feeling, the way and how he still had them. After learning that Harry had a boyfriend, he thought he would lose all of the feelings but no, they were even stronger. But the feeling wasn’t just like another crush , it was the strongest feeling he had ever felt and he’s been in love before, deeply.

            “Do you feel it?” Harry asked in a hurry, right after he pulled car on the side of the road, right in front of the house they just have arrived. “I know it sounds crazy and confusing, you might not know what I’m talking about but…”

            “Yes,” Louis said in a quiet voice, as if Niall could hear them from far away, in the tea house.

            Harry took a shaking breath, his eyes were big and Louis could hear his heart pounding, well maybe both of theirs. “I don’t understand,” Harry said. “I… I love Niall.”

            Louis nodded firmly, “And I don’t want a mate.”

            “You don’t want a mate,” Harry repeated after him, nodding.

            Louis gulped at the way attraction was pulling both of them closer to each other. “And you love Niall.”

            They continued to stare at each other with their pounding hearts, Louis felt like he was dying because his breath wasn’t controllable, not breathing properly and he thought kissing would solve everything. But then seeing Harry leaning his face, right onto his: It wasn’t like the way he did with Niall, kissing him on the cheek. He looked like if he was blind, couldn’t see and he leaned like he was really looking for something, to reach and hold. He felt the hot breath which was coming closer to his lips, he needed to stop it and not only need but he must stop it. He put his back on the window of the car, Harry couldn’t catch his lips and with almost falling over and on Louis, came back to reality again.

            It wasn’t because Louis didn’t want Harry or wasn’t about to die with the thought of kissing him, he wouldn’t. His heart still wasn’t ready for love or to take love from someone, especially someone who already had a boyfriend for their own. But the invisible string between them took both of them closer every time, they were reaching out to each other both physically and emotionally. The silence in the car didn’t seem to take that long, as soon as Louis reached his hand out to hold Harry’s face, the streetlight which was closest to the car nearly exploded. The loud noise came with the blinding flashlight. They both looked outside the window, seeing both the streetlight and his aunt Rach who went straight outside to see what was going on.

            He looked at Harry in a hurry, “I’ve got to go,” he said while unbuckling the seatbelt from himself. “Thank you for the ride and everything actually.”

            He was about to exit the car but Harry stopped him, being unsure of touching him after the accident they just had. “I know you’ve left your car at the campus,” he said calmly. “I can drop you off to school tomorrow morning as well.”

            “No, you shouldn’t,” Louis said while shaking his head, he was going crazy.

            “Please let me,” he said, he looked like he was about to cry begging to Louis. “I will pick you up at eight.”

            Louis couldn’t say anything more and left Harry in the car, going forward to his aunt who was worriedly looking at him. She wasn’t wearing a coat, trying to protect herself from the cold with her arms around her body, tightly holding. “Let’s go inside,” Louis said simply, leading her to the house without allowing her to question anything. He took a glance before he closed the door behind his back, Harry was still there looking at him with a sad gaze.

            Seeing those green eyes as sad made Louis’ heart ache, he wanted to run back and kiss him as they’ve intent to do earlier. Louis took a deep breath before turning his back to him and closing the door. He wasn’t sure if Harry coming over tomorrow to pick him up was a good idea at all.


	2. the pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank youuu so much for the response on the first chapter, all of the support from my friends and people who gave the story a chance, thanks so much to all of you xxx and i promise everything will start to get clearer from this chapter, this is a long update as well and i really don't know when i will be able to update again after the end of my break:(
> 
> a very important note: english isn't my first language and i'm trying my best with the proofreading but if you ever come across with a mistake (of any kind) please do let me know, i'd be so glad x

 

 

            Louis woke up earlier than he needed to, he decided that it would be better if Harry wouldn’t pick him up to the campus after all. He knew he wouldn’t convince Harry in any possible way so he decided leaving the house early would be the best. He still needed to find his other classes and get his car from where he left yesterday. His aunt helped him out with the public transportation and all of the transits between the trains which he needed to be careful for. While he was checking out the map for other places around Yorkshire that he could visit someday, maybe in holiday with his aunt, he somehow spotted the York University.

            He felt the guilt, capturing his whole body, reminding everything happened between him and Harry. Then the fact that Harry actually had a boyfriend who was studying at York University. It had 35 minute drive between Leeds and York so he somehow understood why they were at different campuses. He didn’t know what Niall was studying but then thought to himself that he didn’t need to anymore because he would never get close to Harry or Niall again.

            When he finally could arrive at the campus, he first searched for his car in the parking lot to move, because where he left his car was pretty far away from the building he was taking his classes. He turned his keys in the car and then left the place he was parked easily, also leaving the almost empty parking lot behind. He tried to imagine the map of the campus, which he observed very detailed during the train ride. After being hopeless over his memory on directions, he just let the signs to lead him to the building. Hearing the loud honk from the car behind his, almost gave him a heart attack. He quickly pulled over to right while slowing down and letting the car pass by. But it didn’t, it stayed right behind which made Louis to take a glance at his back.

            It was Perrie. She smirked at him, almost pleased with herself because he caught his attention and not only with that, scared the shit out of Louis as well. Louis was feeling annoyed when she still didn’t drive over somewhere else, it was like she was following wherever he would go. He could test it out by pulling over to somewhere but doing that in a campus where he didn’t know the directions wouldn’t be very wise of him. So he tried to focus on the signs and kept driving. He pulled his car over when he saw the familiar building which he has spent the lectures of yesterday, almost 24 hours ago.

            While he was unbuckling his seatbelt he realized that Perrie also pulled over and was getting ready to leave her car. He sighed, feeling more uncomfortable and annoyed over her existence. As soon as they got out of the car, Louis nearly spat, “No driving over me and almost making a car crash today?”

            Perrie cocked her eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

            “I don’t know what you’re playing but I beg you to stop following me or anything.”

            She loudly laughed, felt almost pitiful for him. “I beg your pardon,” she said in the most sarcastic way. “I really didn’t understand what you’ve just said.”

            “You heard me,” Louis said, clenching his jaw.

            “Well, okay,” Perrie said while clearing her throat to keep going. “I’m not freaking stalking or following you, I really don’t have enough time for that. I’d consider myself to be a drama queen but please acknowledge the fact that you’re not the only person who studies in this building, darling.”

            Louis felt all of the blood coming up to his face, burning up in embarrassment. Luckily, she left him right there not even taking a second glance behind her back. It was very wrong of Louis to accuse someone of doing something like this, he felt sorry and mad at himself. The attitude Perrie showed to him yesterday was rude and wrong, but what Louis just did put him in a guilty position and he didn’t like that at all.

            The rest of the day, he felt guilty for both accusing Perrie of something she hasn’t done because he was simply annoyed by lots of things and not letting Harry know that he left the house early and him probably coming over to pick him up as he said last night. Another fact to add, Perrie really was studying in this building –they had two lectures together and Harry didn’t try to come where Louis was for the whole day. He desperately left the building and hanged out in the garden by himself as if Harry would come there in a second. Louis tried to think if Harry had a busy schedule as well, probably coming over to pick up Louis was a waste of time and he could be mad at Louis.

            During afternoon, he had a free time before his last lecture of the day. So he went outside the building with his backpack, eyes hovered over the garden and tried to see a familiar face –Harry’s face. He gave up and pulled the book he was reading out of his bag, sighed to himself and started to read from where he left last time. Silence and reading didn’t seem to be that peaceful after he smelled a Beta, not just a Beta but an Omega as well. He quickly looked up from his book to meet the people who were right in front of him.

            Seeing Perrie made him feel anxious but he didn’t know about the curly haired girl right next to her. Perrie smiled and sat in front of him, didn’t even bother to ask if the seat was taken or not –sadly, it wasn’t and it will never be. The girl followed her actions and sat down as well. She pulled her hand out, waiting for Louis to shake which surprised him. “I’m Leigh-Anne.”

            Louis shook her hand, still feeling shocked and then said his name with a croaked voice. “Louis.”

            Perrie smiled, squinting her eyes at him, “I’m the girl you’ve thrown a tantrum this morning, Perrie.”

            Louis almost gasped, “I’m really sorry about that, I didn’t mean to-”

            “Well, it’d be my fault as well, I guess,” she didn’t let him finish. “The way acted towards you was wrong after all, yesterday. I’ve created a misunderstanding.”

            Louis shook his head, “Still, it was very unfair of me, I apologize.”

            “It is fine, I promise,” she said, but Louis still felt his gut feeling telling him that it wasn’t alright at all and he had a big storm coming, he just had to wait.

            “So why did you move here?” Leigh-Anne joined the conversation by changing the topic which made Louis very thankful of her.

            He shrugged at first, he usually really avoided answering this but he felt safe to share the information. “My mom died 3 months ago,” he said, feeling the heavy weight off his chest, feeling somehow relieved that he finally was talking about it with someone other than his aunt. Don’t get him wrong, he actually loved his aunt Rach who was taking good care of him from the start, but she was his family and he was sharing the big information with two strangers. “And my dad died when I was a baby. I had already applied for here, Leeds, and after my loss I decided to move in here to my aunt’s, Rach.”

            Leigh-Anne nodded, tried to smile in sympathy. “I kind of understand you, I mean, I lost my mother when I was a baby as well.”

            “Me too, my dad,” Perrie nodded in agreement, joining to them.

            “I’m sorry for both of your losses,” Louis said quietly, thinking of his mother.

            Perrie cleared her throat like she felt the tension Louis was feeling, “So you’re studying Arts?”

            Louis genuinely smiled after seeing her worth of try, to perhaps her worth of try on cheering him up a bit. “Fine Arts, actually. I’ve been always into drawing and I don’t know, I really wanted something that I would be happy studying on. And what about you? Fine Arts as well?”

            “I’m actually studying History of Art,” Perrie said while grinning huge, feeling very proud and happy about the course she’s taking. Then Louis understood they really were studying at the same building, and had two common lectures with their courses.

            He looked down nervously, “Again, I apologize for my behavior this morning,” he said in a low voice. “You were right about I wasn’t the only one who studies in this building…”

            Perrie simply shrugged, “It’s alright,” she said. “It should be, after the destiny and all, you know?”

            “Pardon?” Louis said, frowning. Then he looked up the way where Leigh-Anne and Perrie glued their glance at. He almost felt relieved when he saw Harry, but then realizing how wrong it is the way he feels about Harry made him feel anxious again.

            “Hi there,” Harry says, glancing over both of them in a meaningful way. “Is everything alright here?”

            “Yeah, we were just talking,” Louis said, clearly distracted by what Perrie said earlier.

            “I can take the rest from here,” Harry said in a weird way, as if he was talking to three of them rather than just to Louis. Louis tried to smile over the girls while standing up from his chair, walking over where Harry was taking him. “I apologize for cutting your conversation in the middle, but I needed to talk to you.”

            Louis bit his lip, looking down at his feet. “I’m sorry for not letting you know that I’ll be leaving early this morning, I hope I didn’t waste your time by making you come over.”

            Harry couldn’t understand what Louis was talking about for a while, his eyebrows frown and lips a bit parted apart. “Oh,” he said, in a weird voice. “No, you didn’t. That’s what I was going to speak about with you. I couldn’t come over this morning, I’m glad you went to campus earlier by yourself, actually.”

            It was Louis’ turn to say, “Oh,” in a weird voice.

            “Yeah,” Harry said nervously. “I had to drop Niall off as well, and I was getting pretty late to my own schedule so… I’m sorry.”

            Louis bit inside his cheek, the jealousy felt so much heavier and uglier than he remembered. He didn’t have any right to be jealous on Harry, especially over his relationship with Niall since they’re dating. But he couldn’t help it, even though he wasn’t late to his schedule or any lecture of the day. “No, don’t be,” Louis said quickly, when he realized he took so much time to answer which Harry made feel scared. “I mean, I’m the one who didn’t wait for you to come and pick up, if you weren’t dropping Niall off, you’d be late waiting for me because you didn’t know.”

            “It would be alright…”

            Louis shook his head, “No, it wouldn’t,” said in a dry voice. “But I’m glad that both of us weren’t late to the classes.

            Harry nodded his head, quickly agreeing over what Louis said. “Yes, absolutely.”

            “Well,” Louis said, feeling uncomfortable by the tension and the attraction he still felt. “I better get going, I have one more lecture before the day ends.”

            “Yes, of course,” Harry said quickly. “Of course.”

            “I’ll see you around?” Louis said, really hoping to see him again actually, before turning his back to Harry.

            Harry nodded, tried to smile. “Yes, I’ll see you too.”

            Perrie and Leigh-Anne were of course gone, not to be found again. The conversation they left off would bother Louis’ mind for the rest of the day, but he luckily had some other things to worry about such as Harry and his boyfriend Niall, and his jealousy over them apparently. He got his backpack, putting the book inside in a rush to go back into the building, he had 10 minutes until the lecture.

            As soon as he entered the classroom, he realized Perrie was sitting in the back. He rearranged his backpack on his single shoulder before heading the way she was sat. He felt uncomfortable and embarrassed, the chance of being rejected to sit next to her almost ate him up. When he was there to sit next to her, she didn’t even bother to look up from her notebook which she currently was doodling on. So he simply placed his bag next to the chair, then sat himself on it. Perrie looked at him from her side eye, observing what he was doing next to her.

            Louis pulled out his notebook and pen he was using while taking notes, he was good at taking notes until he gets bored which he then starts drawing at the very corner of the pages he actually was busy with taking notes on. “Our conversation was cut off.” The jealousy really was turning him into a monster because Harry took him to speak and apologize for the morning, not to insult and show his relationship off.

            “Yes,” Perrie said while finally taking her eyes off from the notebook, meeting with Louis’. “You were busy with Styles.”

            “I’m sorry,” Louis said, actually feeling bad.

            Perrie shrugged, looking down her notebook again. “I mean both of you can’t seem to take your eyes off from each other.”

            “What?” Louis said, almost feeling offended of being accused.

            Perrie smirked, maybe giggled as well. “Too bad he’s taken, huh?”

            Louis shook his head, “I wasn’t here to talk about this,” he said, completely ignoring what Perrie said afterwards – _of course you weren’t,_ in a playful tone with a singing melody. “You were saying something about destiny, what did you mean?” It was the second time he heard this word in the last 27 hours, maybe. And it was getting him more curious than he already was.

            “Oh,” Perrie said, smiling cheekily as if she was pleased that the conversation turned into this topic. “Well, the thing is you have so much to know about yourself and _us._ ”

            Louis frowned, “Us?” feeling confused.

            Perrie nodded her head while still smiling. “Your mommy had so many things that she hadn’t informed you about. And you still don’t know any of it, _yet._ ”

            “I-I don’t understand,” he said, feeling mad at himself for the way his voice was shaking, possibly his whole body as well.

            “Hopefully soon, Tomlinson.”

            Then she got all of the stuff laid around the table on her arm, didn’t even take a second look on Louis before leaving the classroom where the professor hasn’t arrived yet. Louis couldn’t move, he felt like he was glued to the seat which was pretty far away from the board and the professor which will come and teach the class. He couldn’t get up and follow where Perrie was going, he felt more sensitive maybe the most sensitive after her mother’s death. He hated to realize his mother really was hiding things behind his back, even more so, to be faced with them. It was five more minutes to the lecture and he felt his stomach flipping upside down, before he got sick, he left the classroom in a hurry.

            He pulled himself inside the first restroom he’s found in the building. It was pretty cold because the window was left open but he didn’t think of closing it because he needed air more than he usually did. His breathing was rapid, eye vision was getting blurry and filled with black spots. He grabbed the sides of the sink, until his knuckles turned to white. Then he took deep breathes and flushed himself with water, to his face multiple times. After feeling calmer, he turned off the sink and stopping the water from running.

             He left the restroom after drying off his face, then quickly the building as well. Found his car and realized Perrie’s was gone while buckling himself. Put his bag over the back and turned on his keys in the car. He muted the radio before it has started to play, it would only cause more noise in his head which was already filled with a lot of things. Louis felt awful about skipping the lesson at the very beginning of his first year. He needed to find his aunt and talk to her so he tried to ignore and keep driving.

            The house was very quiet when he entered in, he knew it was Rach’s off day so she should have been in there. He went straight to the living room and observed its emptiness, after that, to the kitchen. He puffed air in frustration because his aunt was nowhere to be seen. It didn’t take long to notice the note, placed on the counter.

            _Went outside, will be back before dinner I promise! –R_

Louis wanted to cry, he was still out of breath because of ditching school and coming over to the house. He didn’t have any choice other than going outside as well to look for her. He really didn’t know anywhere, his mind was telling him to call Harry but after incident they had, he decided that it would be a bad idea to get help from him. Also he didn’t want the risk of getting rejected because his boyfriend Niall needed something other at that moment.

            So drove his car to the teahouse, he couldn’t decide if it was because of it was the only place other than the campus he knew to go or getting a chance to see Harry –and Niall as well. He left his car full of thoughts and stress. He slowly opened the door and let the ring bell make a sound in the place. It wasn’t very crowded considering it hadn’t passed the end of shift time yet. Louis seated himself to the closest table when he realized he was just wandering around the place mindlessly, looking like he has lost his mind.

            He didn’t know what to do, he should have just looked inside if Rach was there or not and if not, just left there and go somewhere else to keep searching for. He was stressed about being on the road in Yorkshire, he felt like it was easier to be lost in a place he had never been before. Nobody would judge him if he would get lost, but he wasn’t sure he would be found after being lost to be judged as well, considering how creepy it was here.

            “Hey,” Niall said, when he acknowledged Louis’ presence in the teahouse. “How are you doing?”

            Louis seemed beyond distracted. “Hi…”

            “Is everything alright?” Niall said, feeling worried as if something had happened.

            Louis shook his head, “I’m not sure,” he said while looking down. “I’m looking for my aunt Rach, she has left a note that she went out and I need to talk her.”

            Niall nodded his head, understanding. “About what, if I can ask?”

            “Everything,” Louis said while feeling his throat tightening. “Because I don’t know anything about my mother and myself, huge past filled with issues and just… I-I don’t know.”

            “I think I might be able to help.”

            Louis looked up quickly, “How?” He regretted the way he said it, almost rude and disrespectful.

            “Would you come with me to somewhere?” Niall said nervously. “Only if you want to, I just think that it will help you to learn about everything, or almost everything.”

            Louis thought for a second, less than he should have so that he agreed on it. Simply nodded his head and then followed Niall outside, who was heading to go inside his car. He noticed that Niall quickly sent a text to someone before leaving the teahouse. Louis decided that it would be the best to go wherever they were going by his own car, following Niall’s considering it would be awkward to go with him, inside the car together. He smiled at Niall who was in his car seated before turning the car on and started to drive. Louis felt nervous about following his car going to somewhere that he didn’t even bother to ask about. He suddenly felt the worry of possibly being murdered by Niall, there was a chance of him knowing what had happened between Louis and Harry last night.

            It was impossible for Louis to recognize any of the places or roads they were going through, but he somehow could tell they were getting far away from the campus, his house or the teahouse, possibly outside of Yorkshire. He tried to keep his mind off from questioning and also thinking about the Harry incident. After a while, Niall slowed down the car and pulled over to somewhere. Parking there seemed fine because this place didn’t leave an impression like it would be busy or full of people who wouldn’t be pleased with a car parked almost in the middle of the way.

            “Where are we?” Louis said curiously, while getting out of the car and looking around the woods. He parked his car outside of the road just in case. Being a stranger to a place should come with the backup plans as he learned from moving into places a lot.

            Niall shrugged, “We’re not actually _there_ yet.” He led Louis into the woods which almost made him sick to his stomach. He had never been in woods since his mother grounded him from even getting close or near to the woods. “If you feel tired from walking, please let me know.”

            Louis nodded his head nervously, following Niall in silence. If that’s where his aunt has gone, Louis had even more questions in his head. He also was evaluating his theory of getting murdered by Niall, now it was looking more possible with being in the woods alone with him. But Niall actually seemed fine, surely wasn’t aware of anything about Harry or Louis, or both of them together. Louis felt guiltier about Niall not knowing anything about it but he was also pretty scared about sharing the information without asking Harry, he might be jealous but he didn’t want to ruin anything. Because, he reminded himself that he didn’t want a mate and Harry loved Niall.

            “And here we are,” Niall said, slowing down his steps to stop and show Louis the place they were going. Louis looked unsure at the abandoned house, questioning if Niall really was talking about this place or there was something behind it. “I know it seems a bit creepy, but trust me, please.”

            He couldn’t say anything back, couldn’t protest nor agree, just felt his steps following Niall’s quietly. Niall was telling him not to worry or get scared over the appearance of the house, was making sure if Louis was alright with walking or not multiple times. Louis didn’t feel tired at all, he could tell that Niall was out of breath a bit but Louis didn’t seem to have any kind of problem other than the anxiety he was feeling about Niall and his aunt.

            Niall pushed the door to open it, letting it creak in the silence of the abandoned house. The daylight was still to be seen, so they had light in the place to see and walk properly inside. The floor, however, wasn’t creaking like the door did so the only noise in the house was their steps on the wooden floor.

            “Why did you bring me here?” Louis finally asked, looking over to Niall confused.

            Niall tried to smile, “For this.”

            Louis couldn’t understand anything until he realized they weren’t alone in the house. Perrie, Leigh-Anne, Waliyha and Harry came out from different rooms, to reveal themselves at where he was standing with Niall. Louis felt his steps backing up until his back met the wall to stop him from going. He didn’t know why his instinct was making him go away but he didn’t know how to stop it as well. Harry cleared his throat, knowing that he was the only one who Louis trusted in this group of people. “Hi, Louis.”

            He didn’t say anything, and thought he wouldn’t even if he wanted to because he was literally stuck. His eyes wandered over Waliyha and the way she was staring at him, it was equally offensive as he glared at her as well. Then Perrie, she had a smirk on as always, almost pleased with the way Louis was internally freaking out and not very good with not showing it to outside. Leigh-Anne on the other hand, looked worried about Louis and how would they explain whatever they had to.

            “What is going on?” Louis surprised himself with the very calm tone of his voice, he could’ve scream or shout but he said it in a very low voice, concerned and trying not to take any kind of risk.

            Niall cleared his throat this time, “I know this is all big and very fast,” he started. “I swear I didn’t want you to learn this way, or this fast, just as you moved here.”

            Louis shook his head, completely confused. “About what?”

            “I-I don’t know how to explain this,” Niall said. “Or make you believe that what I’m going to say is actually right…”

            Perrie puffed a breath in frustration, clearly stubborn of the process taking too long. “Oh for God’s sake!” she said in a loud voice, sounded more loud than it already was in the empty abandoned house. “Just tell him that he’s one of the most important Omega half-breeds and he belongs to be in our pack as our parents did before they died.”

            “Perrie!” Harry growled warningly.

            “What?” Perrie said, feeling even madder. “I already told it so don’t you dare growling at me, Alpha.”

            “Okay,” Niall broke off the conversation between them, focusing on Louis.

            Louis didn’t know what to say, or even understand before saying anything. “I don’t’ have a pack.”

            Perrie sighed, “Just as I said, because you belong to ours but we couldn’t bond the pack because you weren’t here before.”

            “But…” Louis protested in a weak voice, not liking the dominance of Perrie’s even though she was an Omega as well. “I know I don’t belong to a pack.”

            Niall shook his head, trying to confirm or make him convince. “No, you do,” he said calmly, also trying to make Louis relax as well, very different from the attitude Perrie was showing off. “Our parents… They bonded their pack because the family names were destined to be together, bond each other and claim their pack.”

            “You’re not the only one who has lost a parent,” Perrie said.

            Louis felt his throat tightening, the mention about his loss of mother made him feel offended and protective. “Don’t you dare pulling my mother’s death into this mess,” he said between his teeth, glaring at the amused Perrie.

            “I wasn’t talking about your mother, calm down,” she said in a calm voice for the first time, rather than point out daggers kind of voice. “Your dad, he died when you were a baby… 18 years ago, my dad had died. Also Niall, Harry, Waliyha and Leigh-Anne lost their mothers as well.”

            Louis squinted his eyes, “But why?”

            “Exactly,” Niall said. “We’re not sure but we are aware of the fact that they had their pack bonded.”

            “Then why would we bond ours as well, if that’s a real thing?” Louis frowned.

            Niall didn’t know what to say, so just stared at him until he came up with something to say. “There are hunters, outside of Yorkshire but very close to the borderline. Because we are half-breeds, our strength is limited to protect ourselves for our own. Bonding makes each person in the pack stronger as if they are full-breeds. We need protection, as our parents did.”

            Louis didn’t believe him or what he was trying to point out. “As I asked,” he said, he could be growling if he wasn’t an Omega. “If it worked, why would they die?”

            “In our theory,” Harry started, observing the way Niall couldn’t answer. “There have been a misunderstanding between the pack and they broke off the bond between them which made them weaker and not able to fight towards hunters.” He made sure if Louis was still listening to him before going on. “The reason behind their death seems as a big fire accident, possibly made by the hunters.”

            Louis bit his lip. “My mother died because of the fire incident in our house.”

            Nobody could find something to say until Harry. “I don’t know for sure but this could also mean that the hunters are still here, clearly trying to start something off. So that’s why we should bond our pack.”

            “The bonding of pack would bring us a better hearing, smelling and target to fight,” Niall explained. “We will be on our own time to time, and we need protection.”

            Louis shook his head, didn’t want to agree or accept anything they were saying or will be saying to him. “I’m sorry,” he said weakly. “But if something like that was possible, my mother would’ve informed me.”

            “No, she wouldn’t,” Perrie said, making him feel more offended at her. “Because neither of our parents had said anything. After the incident and deaths, elders forbid them from pack meeting nor teaching us basic facts about it. None of them know that we’re acknowledged of the situation.”

            Part of Louis said that he knew his mother was always hiding things and one of them could be about this, as he wished to know and asked Niall for help but he felt his gut feeling, telling him that this wasn’t a good idea at all. “I’m sorry,” he said, before leaving where they all were. Perrie tried to stop her but he ran faster and left the house, until he was in the woods and didn’t know which way to go.

            Soon after, he felt footsteps which made his heart beat faster than normal. He slowly turned his back to meet Harry’s worried eyes. “Louis…”

            Louis backed away quickly, trying to protect himself from Harry as if he didn’t feel the safest around him. “Get away from me!”

            Harry slowly walked on him, somehow Louis didn’t push him off. “Please listen to me.”

            Louis didn’t exactly agree on what Harry said, but still listened him quietly.

            “I know this is all huge to take in,” he said softly. “And hard to believe. It was the same for us, until we found each other and learned these things. Not everything, but almost everything. And we think we can still learn everything by bonding our pack.”

            Louis remained his silence, glaring at the Alpha.

            “Please,” Harry said, getting dangerously closer to him and his face. “Just think about it.” And put his face over Louis’ neck, rubbed his cheek and hair on it. Louis tried not to whine or make a voice, muffled noises from his throat made Harry look into his eyes. “I’m scenting you,” he informed Louis. “I won’t try to capture you or anything, just making sure you’d be safe in the woods by yourself.”

            Louis bit his lip, didn’t want to let Harry go, already feeling used to his warmth or the tingles he was giving to Louis. He also realized Harry was smelling him while rubbing on him, he looked like he was trying to keep himself in control. It felt impossible to be in control when they were around each other, for both of them. Then Harry raised his face from Louis’ neck and its depth, faced with Louis and his blue eyes. His cheeks were bright pink and had swollen lips because of biting too hard, still having problems with keeping his noises down to his throat.

            He wasn’t sure how both them closed their eyes and just each other to be relaxed and let everything go, as if they were nothing. Louis was leaning onto Harry more and more, feeling the hot breath on his face, his lips. It was so close to be attached, he felt the shock in his whole body as soon as image of Niall glared inside his mind. He quickly pulled himself back, making Harry almost fall over. He didn’t know what to say, released quick and raspy breathes out of his mouth, then ran away from him. He needed to find his car, but he didn’t feel afraid in the woods alone as Harry said, having an Alpha scent would be enough to protect him.

*

_“You scented him?” Perrie said, and it sounded more like accusing rather than questioning about it._

_Harry sighed and said, “Yes,” hesitantly. Made sure to check on Niall's face before he went on telling what has happened. “But only to protect him, I've tried to convince him to come back here but he insisted that he wanted to go back to his house. Then I just scented him so that he wouldn't be in danger while going to his house on the road of woods.”_

_Silence from Niall got even deeper, he wasn't sure if he was more upset about the fact that Harry has scented Louis or Harry being sensitive and caring about Louis that much. "Okay," he simply said, even though it wasn't as everyone would guess and understand._

_"And then you just let him go?" Perrie was more disappointed but not about the scenting -she probably didn't even give second thought to the idea of Harry getting close to Louis, she has always been full of herself and on her own needs._

_Harry frowned, "Yes." It didn't sound firm at all, his voice was giving a hint of questioning on where he did wrong or why would it be considered as a fault. Because Louis was scared and terrified, trying to make stay in the hard way would turn the whole situation even messier. So he let him go to his house, to calm down and to find his peace of mind –hopefully considering the idea of getting involved in the pack to complete it._

_The idea of completing the pack however left some questions on their minds, even Niall who has been insisting to make everyone accept to take place in the pack. It was like a bonding between an Alpha and an Omega, would go on for a lifetime and would help to know if anyone in the pack was in danger. It wasn’t between only two people but between the whole pack and each person, bonding would make their senses even stronger such as hearing, smelling and their sense of feeling possible or close danger and not only to their own but each other; as if they were full-breeds. Niall has always thought they were weak and unprotected without their pack, an easy piece in the woods to be eaten alive without their connection._

*

            It was harder to find his way back to the house than to find his car in the woods. He could arrive at the house after dinner time. His aunt Rach was seated at the couch, watching TV when he got inside. She didn’t seem mad but concerned for sure, “Where have you been?”

            “I… I was out with _friends_ and completely lost the track of time.”

            She nodded, “Went far away?”

            Louis shrugged, as if it was nothing which it really was far away and Louis broke down multiple times during the road, crying out of stress. “A bit.”

            She smiled surprisingly at him. “I’m glad you didn’t struggle to make friends, darling.”

            “Yeah,” Louis mumbled uncomfortably.

            “I only saw Harry Styles, I know his father well, as well as your mother did,” she said, reminding Louis the conversation he had with Desmond about his mother. The word _destiny_ became a thing in his life, hearing it multiple times on different occasions. “Who are the others?” she asked curiously.

            “Uh…” Louis said unsure, he didn’t know if he would consider the others as his type of people, especially everything with Niall and the attitude Perrie was constantly showing off. “Niall and Perrie.” He almost smacked his face, disappointed with himself sounding unsure as he was actually.

            Rach’s eyes grew big, “Literally the same family lines…” she said thoughtfully, still smiling. “Your mother was friends with all of these people’s parents. Seems that blood attracts each other.”

            He uncomfortably coughed while trying to join her laugh. “I guess…”

            “Well,” his aunt changed the tone of her voice all of a sudden. “As long as you don’t keep secrets from me, because I know for sure that I could’ve helped your mother if she would have told me anything and I still regret that I couldn’t do anything.”

            Louis nodded his head, he feared to say anything because he knew his voice would give it all away. He went over to the kitchen, opened the fridge to eat the leftover from dinner. His aunt joined him at the kitchen while he was warming up the food in the microwave. “So where were you today?” Louis asked curiously, remembering how he got to the point where he had been previously.

            “Oh,” his aunt smiled before answering. “So you did come here.”

            Louis bit his lip, nodded while not being sure if it was a good thing or not.

            Rach shrugged, “To shop groceries and make this delicious dinner.”

            “I’m sorry I missed the dinnertime,” Louis said quickly.

            “It’s alright,” she said while shaking her head. Putting her hand on his shoulder before heading to get out from the kitchen. “Don’t make it a habit, though!”

            After feeling full with the dinner his aunt had prepared earlier, he placed the dishes in the washer before leaving the kitchen and go up to his room. They said goodnight to each other and Louis went straight up to the stairs. He went over to the window, while he was about to close the curtain he noticed Waliyha was there again. She was smiling which made it even creepier for Louis. He glared at her, then realized the sudden change on her face. She seemed surprised, almost afraid from what she saw. Louis closed the drapes quickly, feeling confused until he turned his back to meet the mirror on the wall. Seeing his own eyes glow like this made his heart skip a beat. He blinked one more time to lose the glowing blue orbits. They weren’t just shining, they were glowing like they were two pieces of blue jewelry reflecting brightness.

            He took a deep breath, feeling the most anxious after the long day he just had. He quickly undressed himself and put the worn clothes in the basket, then pull his clean clothes out of the closet before wearing them.

            “Louis!”

            His aunt calling out for him made him feel afraid, after the incident he just had with Waliyha. Quickly left his bedroom to go downstairs as Rach called out for. “Yeah?”

            “You have a visitor,” she informed, seeming like nothing but calm which made Louis relaxed. “A very late one.”

            Her tone of voice gave all the message before he could see Harry at the door. He felt his breath ditching. He didn’t know what Harry was doing here, right at his door. What time was it anyway, did Niall know he was here?

            “I’m very sorry,” Harry mumbled under his breath, looking both at Rach and Louis. “But I really needed to talk to you.”

            His aunt sighed, “Whatever you say, Styles,” she said while talking away. “I’m leaving you two here but know that I won’t be very far.”

            Both of them nodded and stayed quiet until she left to the kitchen, closing the door. Louis looked at Harry in a firm way. “Something happened?”

            “I wanted to apologize for earlier…” Harry said, while nervously grabbing his neck. His unbitten bonding mark took Louis’ attention right away.

            Louis crossed his arms and then frowned at him while glaring. “For which one?” He still felt mad about the whole going to abandoned house and claiming him as theirs to bond in a pack.

            Harry sighed, looked down while feeling guilty. “For both…” He said unsure. “Both almost kissing you and not informing you about anything before bringing you there.”

            Louis shook his head. “What we almost did in the woods,” He said, almost breathless with a voice unbearable to be heard. “Shouldn’t happen again, ever.”

            “Exactly,” Harry nodded his head quickly. “Because… I love Niall.”

            Louis bit his lip. “You love Niall and you’re in a relationship with him.”

            “I am,” Harry said, looking at Louis expressionless. “And you don’t want a mate.”

            Louis nodded his head. “I don’t.”

            Harry didn’t know what to say or couldn’t remember why he came here to talk Louis, then he quickly said, “Please think about the Pack and bonding.” Louis tried not to roll his eyes or get the anxious feeling quickly. “I know it’s all too fast and sounds crazier than anything… But you’re one of us, the last piece we’ve been waiting to have to completely bond the Pack.”

            It all hit Louis at once, realization felt heavy and hard on his chest. Louis gaped his mouth, opened and then closed it repetitively until he came up with something to say. “You only befriended me because of the idea of your Pack?”

            Harry’s eyes grew, “Of course not!” He said, nearly growled at the accusation which Louis put him in. “If you’ll decide not be a part of this, that or anything wouldn’t change the fact that I care for you!”

            Louis stayed silent, he didn’t like to be shout at and from his side, it seemed all fake and pointless what Niall and Harry gave to him. He felt like he was a part of the game, to be convinced into the pack then everyone would leave him after getting what they wanted.

            “Louis,” Harry said with a softer and calmer voice, slowly getting closer to him. His smell was softer now as well, clean from the adrenaline and frustration. He was trying to comfort Louis, he grabbed Louis by his chin and made him look up at Harry. “Please listen to me,” his voice felt like a melody which was capturing Louis from his mind to his everything, he could just gave up on standing up and melt into Harry’s touch and voice. “There are so many feelings combined in me towards you, most of them I can’t even explain or understand what they are. From the first moment I saw you, I acknowledged something inside me and I can’t even name it because it’s too complicated. But please do know that I would never use you, on anything or for anything.”

            Louis whined in his throat, leaning his head into Harry’s touch on the chin, making him grab his cheek.

            “And my point of view on you, or my feelings…” Harry continued. “They wouldn’t change even if you will decide not to bond our Pack. I swear to you, Louis.”

            He shut his eyes for a moment, smelled Harry for a while to completely relax. Harry caressed his thumb on Louis’ cheek to comfort him as well. “I’m sorry,” Louis said in a low voice, opening his eyes to meet Harry’s. He felt embarrassed of the way he accused the Alpha.

            Harry didn’t seem to mind or to be mad. “It’s alright,” he said in a calmer voice. “I’m sorry as well because I made you feel like that.”

            “It’s okay,” Louis said, slowly letting go himself off from Harry’s touch. Felt like waking up from a peaceful dream and getting into the reality of waking up.

            Harry bit his lip while looking at Louis. “I-I should get going.”

            “Okay,” Louis said, agreeing on how late it was.

            Harry almost went over to kiss Louis on the cheek, it felt spontaneous and almost like it should be done without a thought. He quickly turned over to the door to keep himself –and Louis in control. He didn’t take a look at his back before going into his car and Louis didn’t blame him.

 


	3. (pity) party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while, i know buuut i only had time since february to finish this chapter (yes i've been writing this since february and i just got to finish)  
> i also don't know if any of you would still continue to read this but there it is!! an update with 7.8k words, i can't seem to write less i guess even for a chapter  
> a very important note: english isn't my first language and i'm trying my best with the proofreading but if you ever come across with a mistake (of any kind) please do let me know, i'd be so glad x

It was the end of the first week which Louis referred as the week full of avoiding Harry, Perrie and Leigh-Anne in the campus. It was actually easier to avoid Harry –which he felt the most upset about. Not because he was studying in a different building but Louis could tell that Harry tried to put a distance between them, it was reasonable yet Louis felt sad that it was because of he was with Niall. It was leading to jealousy, however, he wasn’t sure if he would consider actually being with Harry if he was single, thinking the one and only relationship he had and how drained he was any maybe still was.

            Perrie, on the other hand, put Louis through a harder process while glaring at him at all of the common classes they were taking. Louis felt under pressure as if she was pointing him daggers while staring at him. Her eyes literally said _We’re not bonded as a pack again, even though you were the only one who could make us YET you didn’t want to!_

He somehow found a different type of socializing on the campus on the very last day of the week. On Friday, a girl named Eleanor came right next to him, right next to him on the bench. Louis didn’t know what to say but thankfully, her social skills were better –or just good, because Louis’ weren’t even alright. “My name is Eleanor,” she said softly yet giving a little hint of excitement in her voice. “Overall, this will be the cliché you’ve been having for a week now but, I’ve noticed you moved here this year so I wanted to introduce myself.”

            She seemed genuine and that didn’t make any sense for Louis, he still gave it a try because he didn’t want to waste her try or not to be seen as worthless. “I’m Louis.”

            “It’s my second year here actually,” she continued to talk which seemed… pretty reasonable, because… well, why not? “And I’m the head of socializing community on the campus, regarding any studies or building. I know it is harder to socialize or take part in these type of events when you’re a freshman who moved here new. So I wanted to offer you to be a part of it as well.”

            After all, it didn’t sound horrible or awful. He actually understood her intentions clearly now, he somehow ended up nodding excitedly without even knowing what he will be charged for. Luckily, Eleanor wasn’t harsh on him or put him any type of difficulty. “We’re planning on organizing a party for the beginning of the year,” she explained quickly. “We did the party here in campus last year but because it almost turned into a frat party –like they do in American Colleges I guess… We –and actually the administration of the campus didn’t want the party to be held in the campus again.” She seemed annoyed with the idea which was also understandable. “We’ve already booked a place, very close to the campus as well so people who live in dorms could also join.”

            Louis finally took the chance to actually respond before she could continue or say anything more, “I would like to help,” he said in a breath. “What do you want me to do?”

            Eleanor’s eyes brighten up and smiled hugely on her face. “You see, as I told you, we almost completed everything except for the invitations and decorations,” she said. “And I wanted you to join the community and help me out with those things to me, if you’d like.”

            He thought for a second, it would be a good way to get out all of these destiny, pack, hunters, half-breed and most importantly, the Harry situation. A good distraction which would help his socialization on the campus, “Of course.”

            “You’re studying on the Arts Building, right?” she asked while trying to reach for her phone in the bag, seeming very excited with Louis’ respond.

            “Yeah,” Louis mumbled.

            She smiled after she got her hands on the phone, nodded at Louis. “Okay, if you’d like, we can meet up at the teahouse after you’re done today.”

            “Uh…” Louis said. Before he could even response, she shoved her phone in Louis’ hands. He couldn’t understand for a moment until he saw the new contact info on the screen. He tried to type his number on the screen as fast as he could, then gave it back to Eleanor unsure.

            She stood up from where she was sitting quickly. “Okay, I’ll send you the address of the place,” she said while smiling. “You’re done after three o’clock, I hope?”

            Louis nodded, feeling his mouth dry enough to not being able to talk. “I’m actually done at 2 PM today.”

            “Awesome!” Eleanor said. “Then I’ll see you at three o’clock.”

            Well, it didn’t seem to be easy, escaping from Niall or anything after all.

*

Louis didn’t know what to do other than hanging out in the garden by himself until Eleanor was done for today to go with him. He has done some research about his assignment on Art History and read his book to pass sometime even though he couldn’t focus at all. Every person who has passed by near him made him flinch and look up to check if it was Harry or not. It was clearly pathetic because Harry has been ignoring or keeping himself away from Louis which was fair, only that it didn’t feel fair at all. He felt insecure and disappointed after what his father told them after all, it meant something or Louis just wanted it to mean something because of his feelings.

            It wasn’t so long after when he realized how selfish it was of him. Niall was one of the nicest people he’s met in his life, he tried to help Louis even though he knew for sure that he has got to realize the tension between Louis and Harry, but treated him with nothing but care and respect. Louis felt stupid and thought he might be losing his mind. Thankfully, Eleanor arrived quickly before he started to drown himself with more thoughts as if they weren’t enough already.

            “Hi!” She greeted him with excitement as if she didn’t get out of her last lecture for today, Louis admired the way she was keeping herself motivated. Because when the day was done for the lectures, Louis felt _more_ done than the day.

            He smiled politely. “Hello.”

            “Do you have a car? Or we can go by taxi as well, I don’t know.”

            Louis nodded quickly, “Nope, I have one. I can drive there.”

            Eleanor smiled in grace at him, “Oh good! Let’s just go then.”

*

            It was a relief to not see Niall in the teahouse working until his sight inside caught Harry serving the customers tea. He suddenly felt anxious to be around Harry in a place where Niall was nowhere to be seen, he probably had lectures so Harry took his shift instead. The thought of him helping out Niall didn’t feel fine at all in his stomach even though it was more than fair that every boyfriend would do it. That’s right, Harry was indeed Niall’s boyfriend and Louis shouldn’t have any right to feel like otherwise.

            Eleanor was rambling something about sitting somewhere and how heavy her MacBook was because it was an older one so she would die to have a new one. But Louis couldn’t catch most of them when Harry’s eyes met his. He felt his breath hitch and turned away with his last drop of strength for this week and for the whole situation between him and Harry, it honestly was tiring sometimes.

            “Louis?”

            Louis flinched, feeling like he was woken up from sleep. “Um, yeah?”

            “Should we sit there?” She didn’t seem to mind how distracted Louis was, still was looking around while struggling to keep her MacBook in the hold of her arms.

Louis felt a bit sorry for her situation so quickly found a place to sit together. As soon as they got seated, he dropped his head low in order to not see or get seen by the one and only Harry. He was doing his job of course so after Eleanor laid all of her stuff on the table, he quickly came by to take their orders.

“Lovely to see you,” he said when he approached, making up even more question in Louis’ head if he was talking about him or both of them. “What can I get for both of you?”

Eleanor smiled politely before looking at Louis. “Tea would be fine, yeah?”

Louis couldn’t say anything, out loud or in any way. He felt like he somehow lost his voice or ability of him speaking so he simply nodded his head while still avoiding to look at Harry, especially in the eye.

“Okay, I’m gonna get your tea as quickly as I can,” he said, before leaving their table took a second glance at Louis, trying to catch his eyes or by any chance, to see if he looked at Harry. Then turned his back to go to the kitchen, left the two at their seats.

He quickly came out to serve other people and their orders, then they both finally looked at each other in the eye. Louis tried not to gasp or make any noise while doing that, he really did but it came out. He blushed and turned his head to another way but still took a glance at Harry by his side eye to see if he was still looking at him. He was. And he was not just looking at him, his intense stare made Louis feel something down to his stomach. Warm feeling walked through his torso and made him twitch on his seat, sat uncomfortably.

He took a deep breath before releasing it into a sigh, closed his eyes for a bit to calm himself down and clear his mind from Harry. Opened his eyes to meet with Eleanor’s stare, it wasn’t judging but didn’t make him feel any good as well.

            Eleanor smirked at Louis suggestively, as if she knew something that Louis wasn’t aware of was up and she found it hilarious that she was the only one who knew. “So?”

            Louis frowned but tried to smile, repeated her saying with a hint of questioning in his voice, “So?”

            Eleanor rolled her eyes at that, she felt like she was going to explode because she thought Louis was playing the dumb. “Oh my God,” she said in a breath while still smirking to herself. “What I’m saying is that you and Styles, Styles and you. Gosh!”

            Louis felt caught and attacked at the same time but couldn’t give in for a second. “What about me and Harry?” he kept on questioning like he didn’t know what Eleanor was _now_ talking about.

            “Seriously?” Eleanor said, feeling offended. “I mean like you don’t know what’s up! Both of you can’t seem to tear apart your eyes from each other.”

            “No!” Louis defeated in a whiney voice, he sounded like a child who was being accused of eating all of the candy when he actually indeed ate all of them. “There’s nothing going on between us, or apart from us, like not together or about both of us…”

            Eleanor cocked her brow at that while crossing her arms in front of her chest, leaning to her back while observing Louis’ guilty look. “Sounds about that for sure, but I’m not the one who you should convince.”

            Louis couldn’t help to look at Niall who just came inside and hugged Harry right away before starting to take his own shift as well. He felt the guilt sinking deep in him for the sixth time today and he had enough. But it was harder than he or Eleanor thought, it wasn’t like he was doing whatever he or Harry were doing was on purpose nor wanted this to happen. To be honest, he has found himself thinking about Harry in a day more than five times but this wouldn’t explain the first time they met and the sudden attraction they felt along. He hummed at himself thinking about speaking with Desmond Styles again. Not only to find out about the whole situation between him and Harry but he could also learn things that he had never known about his mother.

            “I was thinking that maybe we could get the party supplies from campus?” Eleanor said, looking focused on the screen of her computer.

            Louis was relieved that she didn’t try to dig into the situation of him and Harry anymore. “That’d be better actually but would they let us?”

            Eleanor hummed. “I mean, for sure they wouldn’t but now considering how close you are with Harry, Mr Styles wouldn’t mind I guess.”

            Louis was gobsmacked, didn’t know what to say or answer so he opened and closed his mouth repetitively. “I…” he tried to say in a struggle but then Eleanor started to laugh, Louis couldn’t even feel offended because of the full feeling of shock inside him.

            “I was only kidding!” She smirked. “I wouldn’t ask something like that to him or make you ask him. We surely need to get cheap supplies but thankfully we have some savings from the charities we got last year.”

            It turned out they really did have some savings to use. Considering it was going to be a simple party to warm up the start of the year, they noted some tables and drinks to serve inside. Eleanor knew some of the Music students in the campus so they could use their sound system during the party. Louis remained to stay focused on the organization even though Niall was clingier to Harry today than ever, yet this shouldn’t bother Louis.

            Eleanor seemed thoughtful while looking at the notes they wrote on the paper then looked up to Louis’ back, she smiled with a hint of interest. “I sometimes wish he wasn’t gay.”

            “Not that he wasn’t taken?” Louis said in a confused tone.

            She almost laughed, “Not Harry. _Him._ ”

            Then Louis looked around to see Aiden, coming where they were seated with a smile plastered on his face. He was so full of himself and Louis considered all of the ides that he had with Eleanor, not being able to understand what she could find in someone like that. Aiden, on the other hand, was seeming like he was never going to give up on annoying Louis, with Harry around or not.

            “Hello there,” he said after approaching their table, hands behind his back and a huge smile on his face. He was looking at Louis and trying to catch his eyes.

            Louis seemed annoyed, refused to look at him in the face and frowned at the way Eleanor smiled at him. “Hello to you too, Mr Grimshaw,” Eleanor answered.

            “What are you guys working on?”

            Of course, he would try to snoop into something like this, even though he didn’t need to or he wasn’t invited. Louis wanted this to be over fast so he answered quickly, “Organizing the party.” He tried to seem distracted, he actually was but with Harry and Niall; He tried to look like as if he was focused and serious about the organizing.

            “Oh?” Aiden said with curiosity.

            “Yes! It will be on next Friday,” Eleanor quickly informed Aiden. “Would you like to come? We haven’t finished making up the posters yet but you can also invite people you know.”

            What. Was. She. Doing.

            Aiden smirked suggestively, looking at Louis thoughtfully, “Hey Louis, would you like to come with me?”

            Louis tried so hard not to roll his eyes and indeed, he succeeded. “I’m already organizing the party?” He sounded like he was questioning but he actually was mocking him, he felt like he was being mean but he also was feeling annoyed with Aiden.

            Aiden, however, laughed at his answer. Bit his lip while smiling before he answered again. “I mean can I bring you to the party _with me_?”

            “Oh, wouldn’t that be great?” Eleanor interrupted, making Louis look at him in horror. But she seemed like she had an idea in her mind that she was pushing Louis into the arms of Aiden. Fucking Aiden Grimshaw, the person Louis couldn’t stand the most. But then Louis felt even more annoyed by the sight of Harry and Niall, laughing together.

            “Okay,” Louis said simply, after swallowing hard with the jealousy in his chest.

            Even Aiden couldn’t realize Louis wasn’t kidding and he just accepted his offer to go to the party with him. “What?”

            Louis frowned at him, trying not to make any sarcastic comments about Aiden proceeding information. “I’ll come with you to the party.”

            Aiden’s eyes nearly lightened up. He quickly grabbed a napkin from the table and a pen from Eleanor’s case. “I’ll pick you up,” he said while writing down his number on the napkin quickly. “Thank you so much for accepting.” He seemed genuine and happy with the idea of going with Louis, or generally Louis which he couldn’t understand himself.

            Louis’ eyes met with Harry’s by accident, but he was glad that he did. He quickly looked at Aiden and smiled, “Thank _you._ ”

            He grabbed the napkin after Aiden left their table, still smiling at himself. Harry, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have fun at all. Especially after he observed the huge smirk on Aiden’s face while he was leaving the place. He clenched his jaw before grabbing the tea that Eleanor and Louis wanted for. Louis was confused at the way Harry placed two cups on the table, without making any eye contact or sound. He quietly left them and continued on his job.

            Eleanor sighed. “At first, I couldn’t be sure if it’d go this way,” she quickly started. “I felt a bit guilty for pushing you into the arms of Aiden but look what I’ve just done!”

            Louis couldn’t say anything, he wasn’t even sure if he understood what Eleanor meant.

            “He is clearly jealous,” she shook her head while smiling in joy, she was truly making fun out of this mess. “Like, I told to myself _Jesus, Calder. Give him a break, he’s been with Niall since birth! Louis truly is gorgeous but would he really?_ And would you look at that? He would and he already is doing it!”

            “No,” Louis said in horror, although it sounded quiet.

            She folded her arms on her chest, leaning on her back while observing the confused look on his face. “Whatever you say.”

            After deciding on the task arrangement as well, they realized it was getting late so Eleanor quickly collected all of her stuff which was laid lazily and messily on the table, then left Louis with saying goodbye. Louis drank his second tea before he was getting ready to leave. Niall was nowhere to be seen in the place when he got up from the seat to wear his coat. Harry looked up at him while taking the orders of people.

            Louis couldn’t form a smile on his face and he wasn’t sure if he was feeling anything right now, a day full of having chest pain because of seeing them together was honestly tiring and he needed to get out of this place.

            He pushed at the door and met with the cold of outside, he’d been in the place for a long time to adjust the warm feeling. He heard the bell of the door right after he left and was ready to go into his car, to take off. Louis quickly turned around to see who left the place as well.

            “Louis,” Alpha spoke in a low voice.

            He nearly whined at the sight of Harry this close. He tried to stop himself from breathing through his nose, Harry’s smell would be overwhelming after a long day. “Yeah?” He tried to answer in a stable tone.

            “You seem upset,” Harry said in concern, he wanted to get closer to Louis, to comfort him. But he also was hesitant to get near at Louis, after all of the almost-accidents they had and the concerns of Louis which he spoke regularly about.

            Louis shrugged, he really didn’t know what to say. He was tired, was feeling drained and the presence of Harry made him feel completely lost.

            “So…” Harry said in an unsure voice, Louis couldn’t tell if he was asking something or rambling as usual like they were always doing.

            “So?” Louis asked back.

            Harry really did look uncomfortable, not just like he was feeling discomfort but he also looked like he was upset… almost jealous. “You’re going to the party with Aiden?”

            Then Louis understood. He tried to smile even though he was feeling more uncomfortable about Aiden than Harry did. “Not like we’re going together,” he tried to explain. “I mean he didn’t invite me or anything because I’m the one who’s organizing the whole thing.”

            “Right,” Harry said, trying to smile and puffed out air like he fake-laughed.

            “He’s just dropping me off and we’ll hang out I guess.”

            There was a pause before Harry went on nodding and approving what Louis just told him. “…Right.” He licked his lips and dropped his eyes low, coughed shortly. “I mean if you’ve wanted, I could give you a ride as well.”

            Louis tried not to be rude, really. But it was all a joke to him, the way Harry was treating him even though he had _someone_ and that someone certainly wasn’t Louis. It was bothering him more than he was thinking. “But then who would drive Niall, yeah?” He said while trying to keep his voice as normal as possible in order not to sound like shaking out of jealousy. Louis realized he couldn’t bother to hear Harry’s response so he didn’t wait for him to say anything and simply left him there. He was almost sure that he’d feel amazing and powerful after what he’d done but it didn’t feel good at all when he was seated in his car, ready to take off.

*

            Accepting to go to the party with Aiden cost more than making Harry jealous and feeling very pleased with that; Aiden didn’t left his side for the whole week, not even for a minute except for the lectures as long as Louis was in the campus. On Wednesday, Louis could swore to God that Aiden was actually waiting for him to come in the parking lot. Right after he stepped on the road, leaving his car, Aiden was next to him. He felt very annoyed until Thursday, not until he realized the presence of him actually made Louis feel better.

            Because imagining that if Aiden wasn’t around, Louis would be sitting by himself, alone in the garden trying to read a book. He was too distracted for that, every time he was starting to read a paragraph, a certain word or sentence would immediately make him think of a certain person named Harry. Then he would feel furious about him not ever coming to see Louis. Thinking about this would make Louis feel even more furious because Harry had no reason to visit Louis, to check up on him. This would lead him to feel jealous of Niall or upset that he was feeling furious. It sounded stupid because it was stupid.

            On Friday, Aiden texted him before Louis even got into his car. Saying that he had no lecture on Friday’s so that he will see Louis at his house, picking him up for the party. It was almost like he could forget that today was the day party would be happening. Eleanor had been bugging him throughout the week, almost making him regret to be a part of this. But again, he thought keeping himself busy with several things was the only way to stay away from Harry.

            He informed his aunt about the party that he will be taking off, right after he will come to the house. She was glad to hear that Louis was making friends, getting along in the campus to be able to organize a party with a social community. She tried to question him about Harry two times this week, after sensing the discomfort in his smell, she didn’t even try to mention him again which Louis was grateful for.

            When he arrived at the campus, Eleanor handed him the list of people coming. He quickly scrolled through the names and saw familiar ones such as Perrie, Leigh-Anne, Waliyha, Harry and of course, Niall. He gave Eleanor the list back while swallowing down the lump formed in his throat. Eleanor went straight to her own car, to go to the place and help on the decoration after getting the confirmation from Louis as well. He felt a bit guilty for not helping out the decoration but he had already missed some classes at the very beginning of the year and nobody asked for him to come and help, there was nothing to do.

            He realized Perrie smiled at him for the first time in this week, during the common lectures they were taking. Louis wasn’t sure if it was about the Party or not, but he still, felt better about her not having a beef with him anymore –or at least it was seemed that way. Other than Perrie and Leigh-Anne, Louis didn’t see a trace of Harry the whole week other than at the Tea House. He felt upset, he knew he wasn’t that important to be checked or to be hid from –both didn’t make sense to Louis and he still understood that Harry’s been avoiding him and he was sure that if he hadn’t, Louis would. He tried to make himself feel better by reminding himself about this during the day.

            The plan was simple: Party was starting at six and they needed to be there at five in order to check up on the preparation and if everything was there, so after having the last lecture of the day ending at three, Louis was going to go to his house to get ready and Aiden was going to pick him up.

            After he took a shower, he closed the drapes right after he arrived at his bedroom. He was still flinching at the thought of the incident he had with Waliyha earlier. The memory of his glowing eyes reflected in the mirror was giving him goosebumps –or he needed to turn the heat on. He adjusted the towel wrapped around his waist again before leaving the room to go to the kitchen, the house was freezing after his aunt left so he turned the heat on. He was going to leave at half past four and his aunt would arrive here at least ten minutes later. The thought of her coming to an already warmed house made him smile after he twisted the button.

            It was raining, it wasn’t something new or shocking for a person who had lived in United Kingdom for a while. Louis’ favorite type of weather would be this, a cloudy sky making the outside darker and the sound of pouring rain on the window. He arrived back at his room. Before he could loosen the towel to dry himself and dress up, he heard a noise. It couldn’t have come from outside the house or from downstairs, the noise was pretty close and it made Louis flinch at where he was standing.

            The thing was, he was pretty sure that he wasn’t the one who found the book but the book was the one who found him. It didn’t make sense and he somehow felt like it shouldn’t be making any sense. The book showed itself, in the presence of Louis. It almost knocked out the door. Louis stopped his actions at the very moment right after hearing a voice while he was alone in the house. It knocked again so he turned around to understand where the noise was coming from.

            His closet.

            The closet which was used to belong to his mother, also him and his aunt had taken all of the clothes off from the hangers and placed it somewhere. Louis felt the goosebumps again and this time, he was sure that it wasn’t because he was. The room was actually pretty warm, it felt odd because it had been five minutes since he’s turned on the heater. He gulped, tightly due to his dry throat. He took small steps over the closet, heartbeat getting impossibly faster with every step he took.

            He opened the closet door, he felt embarrassed when he realized how his hands were shaking while holding tight on the closet knob. There was a book laid on, under the clothing pieces and Louis could swore that neither did him or his aunt realized its existence while clearing out the closet. He took a deep breath before bending down to get the book off the floor and look at it to understand what it is.

            It was heavy and pretty thick, the cover of it was hard. He traced the leather which the book was covered outside with his index finger, slowly observing the book between his hands. He opened it to see its first page, written “Poulston” in italic and big letters. It was his mother’s surname, but after she gave birth to him, she gave him his father’s surname. He flipped the first page over to meet an envelope between the pages. It looked pretty old and he wasn’t sure to open it because he didn’t know what it was and didn’t want to open something that could be private. However, while he was trying to flip the page again he noticed it was written “To Louis” on the envelope. He recognized the handwriting right away which had belonged to his mother.

            He took the letter out of the book with his other hand, closed the book and sat down on the bed, placed it right next to him while opening up the envelope quickly. The texture felt thick under his fingertips, he could already feel that it was written way back then, maybe before his mother left this place.

            _My dearest,_

            Louis wanted to punch himself after getting teared up along with the first line of the letter, he needed to be strong for his mother.

            _My dearest,_

_My eternity,_

_Everything of me,_

_All I could ask for,_

_Louis._

_If you’re reading this now, after finding the Family Book along with the envelope, it’s clear that I’m gone now. All I can say is that I’m very sorry and I wish things didn’t go this way. I tried everything to protect you from all of this mess, the only relief in my heart while thinking about you reading this letter is that you are safe after all –unlike me. I know I could keep you safe but safe isn’t a word that I could ask for myself. A mother in danger, unfortunately, affects her own son as well and I’m so sorry._

_I know you’ve always wondered why we were moving in and out all the time, please do remember that I did all of these crazy things for you, for us and for a safe home. I’m sorry now that I’m gone. Please read the letter very carefully, Lou._

_You have to make sure you’re safe and protected, find an Alpha –a good Alpha that will take care of you and always protect you. I know you’re able to protect yourself, Omegas can do everything, remember? But I don’t want you to be unhappy with an Alpha who’s putting you down –even hurting you. Be careful with the people around you, choose wisely about who you will be having in your life. Always think about your own safety and your pack’s. Please don’t forget to take care of yourself._

_I love you, my Louis, I love you._

_Your mom,_

_J._

Louis quickly put the letter back in the envelope, trying not to wet the paper with his tears. He couldn’t stop himself from crying, even sobbing. His hands were shaking but he had to hide the book. It felt awful hiding this from his aunt but this letter was personal and written by his mother only to him. He didn’t have any other choice than to put the book between his clothing.

            His mother said “your pack” in the letter. Did she mean he had to be bonded with the pack they were talking about? Was it his actual destiny to have a pack –specifically be bonded with the pack that Perrie, Niall and Harry were trying to convince him into? He didn’t know and he certainly didn’t have the time. He quickly dried himself and his hair before dressing up. He wasn’t even sure what he put on for the Party, he just made sure that he indeed wore underwear, pants and some jumper to keep him warm. Then a text from Aiden made his phone buzz on the bed.

            **waiting for you outside x**

Okay, he could do this, Louis could pretend as if nothing happened –like he didn’t just find a letter from his mother or a book called “Family Book” or that he needed to have pack to protect himself. He grabbed his phone from the bed and put into his back pocket. After wearing a coat, he quickly grabbed his keys and left the house to meet Aiden in his car outside the door. The rain wasn’t as heavy as it was when he first got out of the shower so he didn’t feel the need to cover his head. It was probably a bad idea considering he just got out of the shower but he really didn’t feel like caring about it.

            Aiden didn’t bother to go outside and open the door for Louis like Harry always does for him, it felt strange but also quiet normal. He just opened the door from inside, smiling at Louis with excitement. Louis tried to swallow before pulling up a small smile and entering the car. This was going to be a long night.

*

            Louis questioned all of the choices he took through his life when they arrived at the party. Aiden kept asking if he was okay or not and constantly told him that he was looking upset, was trying to make sure everything was alright with him. Well, it wasn’t. And the letter wasn’t the only thing he was feeling down about, when he first decided to participate on organizing this party, he didn’t think of actually being involved to the party. He wasn’t the biggest fan of social interactions or the huge crowds of people.

            When they arrived at the place, Louis almost hold his nose in order to stop getting all of the smells combined. He felt uncomfortable being surrounded by many Alpha, Beta and Omega’s that he didn’t know the smell of. Until he quickly caught the smell which he was most familiar with.

            Harry’s.

            There was something with the way he was smelling. It was almost unique and Louis didn’t know how to define it. It wasn’t like any smell of Alpha, there was a certain and similar way all of the Alpha’s smelt and Harry kind of had it but there was _something_ else. Something which was comforting him even though he was feeling anxious and pretty uncomfortable in the area, he couldn’t see where he was but he sniffed all that he could until Aiden put his hand over his back gently. It was like waking up from a dream.

            “Would you want anything to drink?”

            He felt guilty about wanting to ditch Aiden, but he also felt like he was going to cry so he lied quickly. “Coke would be nice, I guess,” he answered while trying to smile politely.

            Aiden raised his brow. “Not alcohol?”

            _No,_ Louis screamed in his mind repetitively, he wasn’t going to drink at all –not in this party or around Aiden for sure. He was thankful for Aiden and the effort he put all through this week for Louis, but he still was a stranger Alpha and Louis couldn’t make up any reason why Harry wasn’t.

            “Nope,” Louis said while still trying to smile, to ensure Aiden he was okay. “Thanks.”

            Aiden didn’t insist and smiled before leaving Louis there, Louis was confused how Aiden didn’t insist at all. Not like he had to, but he’d surely do something in order to drive Louis crazy and almost get across the line to get killed by the Omega. So Louis felt happy for a second that he didn’t have to deal with Aiden or his concerns for a moment. Although, his happiness didn’t seem to last for long when the appearance of Harry with Niall chimed in his sight.

            He felt an instant itch on the certain part of his neck where it should be bitten when he’d get marked. The jealousy was eating him up and the thought of them coming together to the party bothered him more than anything. Besides, he thought he’d feel good about coming to the party with Aiden after the talk back he gave to Harry. But he didn’t and he wasn’t going to.

            Harry quickly glanced at Louis as well, must have felt Louis staring at them. So Louis quickly looked away and tried to pretend if he was busy with something else while waiting for Aiden to come back. Eleanor quickly hugged Louis from behind, made him flinch but finding a known smell instead of Harry’s was comforting to Louis.

            “What a party, right?” Eleanor shouted a bit to make herself heard over the music which was loudly playing in the background.

            Louis tried to smile. “For sure!”

            “So,” she smirked. “Harry is already staring at you and Aiden is nowhere to be seen?”

            “No,” Louis quickly answered, while trying to take a quick and subtle glance at Harry to check if he was actually staring or not. “I’m just waiting for Aiden to bring me a drink.”

            Of course she caught on his quick glance over Harry so she smirked even wider. “Sure.”

            Louis felt tired to protest because he knew it wouldn’t change anything, instead, he let Eleanor go to talk to other people in the party. Seeing the crowd of people she was talking to made him feel nervous even though he was pretty far from them. Aiden came back with a coke and a drink for himself, Louis already caught on the strong smell of alcohol. He politely thanked Aiden before getting the coke out of his hand. Took a glance over Harry who was no longer looking at Louis and was talking with Niall. Louis took a big gulp from the coke as if he was drinking alcohol.

            “Let’s dance,” Louis suggested out of nowhere, so both of them couldn’t say anything at first, very surprised with his suggestion.

            Aiden smiled instead of questioning which made Louis feel a bit better about himself. “Sure,” he said while smirking at him, offered a hand at him as well. “Come here.”

            Louis was hesitant to take his hand but he still went for it, the thought of Harry with Niall still burning inside his head. He saw Perrie and Leigh-Anne dancing while Aiden and he were joining into the dance floor. He didn’t know what to do at first, he truly loved dancing and feeling the rhythm but being in the public eye had always been a struggle for him. Aiden, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about the people around them. When he saw Louis was uncomfortable, he took his hand and quickly swirled Louis around in a playing way. Louis actually smiled for the first time from the start of the party.

            They danced a bit more, Louis was getting more comfortable about dancing with people around and how to act with Aiden until he realized Harry and Niall were dancing as well. There was nothing wrong with a couple dancing but the Louis feeling of jealousy Louis was feeling about Harry. So he tried to distract himself with snuggling with Aiden more. The music didn’t slow down but he felt like everything did when Harry was looking deeply into his eyes as well while Niall was facing his back to Louis, probably wasn’t aware at all.

            Louis felt his throat tighten up, not being able to let go of the breath which was stuck. He somehow managed to snuggle Aiden even more. Harry gave him a death stare, not looking away or even blinking for a second. Louis wasn’t sure if he was blushing or his body was already on fire everywhere.

            Aiden looked at him, lips pulling up into a smile slowly, “Would you like to go somewhere private?”

            Louis didn’t know, what to say or what to do. He felt like he wasn’t able to control what he was doing. He tried to look at Harry who was no longer facing him. He gulped and nodded at Aiden, feeling dizzy as if he drank alcohol. He thought that this might be the effect of the party and whole dancing. He didn’t even realize he was holding Aiden’s hand and letting him to drag Louis around wherever he’d go for somewhere “private”.

            He wasn’t even sure what that meant. Did Aiden want to mess around? Or have sex with him? Louis wasn’t a virgin but he certainly didn’t want to do anything with Aiden in terms of sexual intercourse. His questions were hanged in the air, left unanswered when Aiden closed the door behind them. Louis wasn’t sure if he heard the click from the door, sounded like something was locked. Was it the door? Aiden wasn’t smiling but his eyes were sparkling due to adrenaline. Maybe he really wanted to get into Louis’ pants.

            Louis wasn’t sure when he sat down on the chair, must’ve felt tired after standing for too long and dancing a bit. Aiden was now smiling, but the smile was different from the ones he saw during the day. When he picked Louis up from his house or talking to him during every part of the party except for this moment. He was almost having fun by himself, holding back a laughter while biting the bottom of his lips, smirking.

            He felt like his senses were getting better as he was realizing things around him. The room didn’t have anything but a chair he was sitting on. He thought there should have been at least a couch if he actually wanted to mess around, but no, nothing.

            “I should thank Harry, really,” Aiden finally spoke. “I thought I’d regret that I didn’t put anything in your drink but there he was, being the actual _love drug._ ”

            Louis stood up from the chair as he flinched through Aiden’s words. Aiden came closer to him when he tried to get away, he kept repeating _tsk tsk_ when he put both of his hands on Louis’ shoulders, making him sit down again.

            “Not too far, Omega,” he said in a stern voice while also sounding like he’s having more than fun.

            Louis still wasn’t totally aware even though he could understand that he was in total shit. Things became even clearer when Aiden pulled Louis’ hands back and tied them quickly and at that point, Louis might’ve stopped breathing completely. “What are you doing?” he said breathlessly, not being able to look at Aiden.

            “You might be wondering if I’m either killing you or having a kink of tying someone, I assume,” he said in a cold voice while smirking at him. “But if you ask me, I don’t even think you deserve death, you deserve to suffer.”

            Louis realized he was breathing after all when Aiden put a hand over his throat, tightly holding it and making Louis not able to breathe. Aiden didn’t lose time when he pulled out a knife, his hands weren’t even shaking and that hurt Louis more, he was so prepared all of this time to do this. He wanted to close his eyes but couldn’t take his eyes away from the knife which will be killing him soon. It wasn’t a regular knife with one sharp side and a pointed edge. It had two different edges and looked like both of its sides were sharp.

            He looked at Aiden with a struggle, he felt everything inside him was boiling as if he wasn’t being choked during the time. His stare was stern even though he wasn’t frowning, but Aiden looked worried for a moment, tried to hold his throat even tighter until he released his hand when Louis growled. He almost wanted to close his mouth with his hands to hide it. It didn’t sound like an omega growl at all which was what must’ve scared Aiden to stop. Then he heard the noise of the door, feeling scared all over with the thought of more people like Aiden were coming. But he quickly caught on the smell.

            “Harry!” Louis screamed when he stopped growling.

            Aiden quickly opened the door with his knife and hit Harry without hesitation when the door hit the other side of the wall. Harry was about to hit him back but Aiden was out of the sight. Harry ran towards Louis who was sitting on the floor, shaking. He embraced him, trying not to make it tight since he saw the bruises on his throat, letting him catch his breath while violently sobbed in Harry’s arms. He tried not to feel guilty while reminding himself he had no other choice when he started to scent Louis, in order to comfort him. He ran his fingers through Louis’ hair while releasing his comforting scent of him to the omega. His sobs were slowing down as he sniffled more into Harry’s smell.

            “He choked me,” Louis said in a broken voice.

            “I saw,” Harry didn’t know what to say.

            Louis sniffled again. “How did you find me?”

            “I traced your smell,” Harry confessed.

            “But how?” Louis asked again, in a weak voice which hurt Harry’s heart even more. “How’d you assume I was in danger?”

            Harry bit his lip before answering. “I felt you, Lou.”

*

            _“He growled at me!”_

_The old man wasn’t impressed at all. “You shouldn’t have taken this mission if you would be scared from an omega growl, then.”_

_Aiden shook his head, feeling inside of his body still shaking. “You don’t understand it! It wasn’t like an omega growl, or any kind of growl!”_

_“I think I’ve had enough,” the man said before pulling out his knife and walking quickly towards the young boy, on his knees looking like he’s pleading on the floor._

_“Please!” he shouted. “You have to listen to me, there’s something you should know about him!”_

_The man didn’t think twice before he stabbed Aiden right into his throat, leaving him dead right after seconds. “I said,” he said while pulling out his now blooded knife out. “I’ve had enough.”_


	4. the bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooo!  
> after more than a month, i finally managed to finish this chapter. it's shorter than usual -i normally try to write 8k for each chapter but this one was almost 6k. and this chapter is mainly about the pack and bonding, everything will start to happen in the next chapter so stay tuned!  
> also thank you so much for reading and supporting this story, it's my first fic ever so i get so happy with each kudos and comment, thankyouthankyouthankyou  
> a very important note: english isn't my first language and i'm trying my best with the proofreading but if you ever come across with a mistake (of any kind) please do let me know, i'd be so glad x

_“What’s wrong?” Niall asked when he realized Harry had stopped dancing or moving along with him._

_Harry frowned while shaking his head. “Something feels wrong.”_

_“About?” Niall questioned, almost in an offended way which Harry couldn’t make any sense about him getting defensive all of a sudden._

_Harry felt like his throat was tightening as if he was drowning or even worse, being choked. At first, he wasn’t able to hear or see anything. His vision got blurry and his ears felt congested, his whole body felt numb and he didn’t know if he was standing still or already had fallen over on the floor next to Niall. Then his hearing senses got the clearest, and he was sure that he didn’t even need to try to hear clearer or better, he just did and he didn’t know how._

_“Harry?” Niall called his name again, he shouted a bit more in order to be heard over the loud music in the room. His high voice made Harry flinch and this made Niall even more suspicious about the whole situation. He looked upset, Harry didn’t know why, just like he couldn’t know about anything at this current moment._

_“Something feels wrong,” Harry repeated again. His voice was hoarse and he felt like he’s on the edge of sobbing in the middle of the room surrounded by the crowd of people._

_Niall sighed before dropping his hands from Harry’s shoulder, realizing they clearly weren’t dancing or moving anymore. “Is this about Louis?” He asked all of a sudden, his voice remained calm as he tried so hard to do. “Him and Aiden. Do you feel jealous?”_

_“What?” Harry shouted in a shock, he couldn’t believe what Niall just asked him. It wasn’t just offensive to him but to Louis as well. “Of course not.”_

_“Then what is it, Harry?” Niall exclaimed, he looked like he was about to lose all of his patience since the day Harry confessed that he’d scented Louis in the woods. “They left the room, probably to get lonely or have some private space. Is it bothering you?”_

_Louis._

_It was Louis. Of course, it was Louis._

_“They left together?”_

_Niall took two steps back before shouting at him, “Oh my God!”_

_Harry shook his head before grabbing Niall by the wrist, he wasn’t holding tight or applying any kind of force on him because of the numb feeling through his body, he even had to make sure to see if he was actually holding him or not. “No, please,” he said in a pleading voice. He bowed his head to his boyfriend who looked at him furiously. “It’s not the way you think. Just please, tell me. Did they leave together?”_

_Niall took his wrist out of his hold before glaring at him. “Yes.”_

_“To where?”_

_“For fuck’s sake, I don’t know and I certainly don’t give a shit!” He shouted at Harry. “Why would you?”_

_Harry clenched his jaw, tried not to growl at his boyfriend for Louis’ safety. “He’s in danger, most probably by the hunters.”_

_That’s when Niall stopped his attitude towards the whole situation and most importantly, towards the Alpha._

*

            Both of them didn’t know what to do at first, after getting almost killed by Aiden choking Louis or Niall catching the sight of Harry scenting Louis like there was no tomorrow, Louis wasn’t sure which was worse. However, it was clear that the worst part was the fact that Harry didn’t stop scenting Louis, even after getting caught by Niall which had made both Niall and Louis feel terrible. Niall didn't say anything when he saw Harry and Louis on the floor –not like he could actually since Louis was sobbing hard and was still shaking after the event that just happened.

“Aiden ran away,” Niall said, after a silence of not knowing exactly what to say. "Perrie tried to stop him, he pushed her. Nobody saw anything since the party is still going crazy."

Harry nodded before he took a glance over the shaking body of Louis. "I'll drive Louis home."

“Okay,” Niall said, agreeing with him. "I think it's best if I drop the girls home as well."

Louis shouldn't be thinking about that but he was, Niall came to the party on his own and Harry didn't drove him to the party. It was so wrong that he could still think of this after being choked to almost death.

Niall left them after staring at Harry who had nodded to him in agreement. “I have a scarf with me,” Harry said, keeping his voice quiet as if Louis was a glass that could easily shatter through his voice, he also was running his fingers through Louis’ hair gently. “Nobody will see the bruises on your neck.”

Louis then realized that Aiden had left bruises on his neck and it'd be the best to hide them, especially from his aunt. His voice seemed not coming out so he simply nodded while trying to stand up. Harry didn’t let him stand up on his own, so he simply carried him in a bridal style and then put him on his own feet gently while being very careful. Louis didn’t understand how he was so gentle or how he could carry him as if he was a feather to him since he’d been always insecure about his body and weight.

Both of them didn’t understand how they managed to hold hands but in the end, there they were, casually holding hands while leaving a party. Harry almost throw his arm around Louis to protect him from the crowd. Louis was still shaking when they got seated in Harry’s car. Harry scented him a bit more before giving him his scarf which smelled even more of Harry. He gently put it around Louis’ bruised neck while looking deeply into Louis’ teary eyes. His heart hurt with each whimper that had left from Louis’ mouth.

When they arrived at Louis’ house, both of them were unsure of what to do. Surely, Harry’s scarf was covering the bruises but he wasn’t able to stay steady and nobody would blame him for that. Harry also helped Louis to get out of the car, made Louis wrap his arm around Harry and carried him as much as he can to the door. Louis shakily got his keys out and entered the house, Harry preferred to stay by the door since Louis’ aunt could come out at any time.

Instead, Louis found a note on the fridge, saying  _“I had a real late extra shift today, went to sleep early!”_  He sighed in relief, turned towards Harry. “She’s asleep.”

Harry nodded in assurance. “Good,” he said. “Make sure to wear the scarf in the morning.”

“Yes, of course,” Louis said quickly.

Harry looked unsure before heading to leave the house. Louis felt his breath hitching when Harry turned his back to him.

“Wait,” Louis said in a low voice, no matter how low it was, Harry heard it and turned straight away in a flinch within the voice of Louis. “Can I tell you something?”

Harry’s body relaxed a bit. “Of course, Lou, anything.” He slowly walked up to him, keeping the distance in order to keep him as comfortable as he can.

“I found a book,” Louis said after thinking a bit, each word which had left his mouth was making his throat close up. He was afraid of choking up to a sob. “In the closet. The closet belonged to my mother when she was living here.”

Harry nodded, tried to assure him to keep going on.

Louis took a breath before he continued to tell Harry more. “I believe she referred to it as a Family Book, the cover said her surname but I didn’t have a chance to take a look at it while leaving for the party.”

“Do you want to check it out together?”

“Yes,” Louis said in a low voice. “But not now. And I’m not sure if we can in the morning as well since my aunt had a late shift and she’d probably prefer to stay in tomorrow morning.”

“Okay,” Harry said while thinking hard. “I can pick you up in the morning and we can go to my house if it’s okay.” He checked Louis’ expression in order to keep on. “My dad has a meeting tomorrow morning so no one will be home.”

Louis bit his lip before saying anything. “Would Niall be okay with it?”

“He also has an early shift tomorrow at the Tea House.”

Harry wasn’t understanding what Louis meant and Louis didn’t exactly know how to make him. “I mean, yeah, he’d be occupied but would he be okay with the idea of us –alone in your house?”

Harry frowned when he understood. “He’s not exactly acknowledged about the incidents we had.”

“Makes sense,” Louis said in a whisper, trying not laugh out of nervousness. He really didn’t get when Niall was pretty okay with Harry dropping Louis off in the first place and it was almost crystal clear now, he felt even guiltier. “And they’re not going to happen again.” He felt bad when it sounded like a question as if he was taking Harry’s permission for it.

Harry took no offence. “When should I pick you up?”

“At nine would be fine.”

“Okay,” Harry said slowly, not exactly knowing what to do from there. He just stood there and his Alpha inside was nearly growling to hold Louis, scent him more but he held himself back since Louis made it clear that no incidents would happen again. “Try to get some sleep, Lou.”

Louis nodded, he held onto the scarf which he realized he was still wearing. “You too.”

Harry nearly smiled at how Louis was holding the scarf, feeling secure with it. “Goodnight.”

Louis watched him getting into his car and before he took off, Harry glanced over Louis to make sure he closed the door and locked it as he told him during the ride home. Louis stood by the window next to the door until the sight of Harry’s car disappeared in his sight.

*

            His aunt was up even before him, she claimed that since she went to bed early, she got up earlier than usual. But Louis put on the scarf Harry gave to him before leaving his room and placed the book inside a bag of his, so it was all cool.

            “Are you already leaving?” The sadness in her voice made Louis feel terrible since they were having so much little time together as she was disappointed in with.

            Louis bit his lip. “Yeah, Harry’s going to pick me up.”

            “Harry, huh?” She said, smirk in her voice pretty evidential. “You two seem to hang out a lot.”

            He sighed with the thought, he literally hasn’t seen Harry for a whole week and still didn’t know why he was still petty about it. But in conclusion, they weren’t actually hanging out  _that much_. “I guess so.”

“Will you be late?” Rach said while moving things around in the kitchen to prepare the breakfast.

            “Nope,” Louis said right away, hoping that he’ll make it to dinnertime no matter what. “I’ll text you if anything comes up though.”

            Rach smiled at him. “That’d be lovely, thank you.”

            They both flinched at the doorbell, Louis quickly ran over to the door before Rach could. Harry was standing nervously and Louis almost felt his unsteady heartbeat in his own heart. He gulped before trying to smile at Harry. “Good morning.”

            “Hi,” Harry said in a low voice, Louis thought it was raspy as if he just woke up before driving to here.

            Rach interrupted while they were gazing at each other, “Have you had breakfast, Harry?”

            “No, ma’am,” Harry said quickly, being released from the illusion of Louis’ blue eyes, they made him feel even more dazed.

            “Well, come here and have some with Louis!”

            They both looked unsure at each other before Harry spoke up. “We’re actually going to eat at my place.”

            Rach arched her eyebrow with his response which made Louis feel like everything just got worse with this response. “Oh?”

            Louis chuckled nervously within the awkward silence of three. “Well, we might get going but thank you, Aunt Rach,  _we_  appreciate.”

            She decided not to get any further and smiled, “Anytime.”

            They left his house equally stressed and feeling awkward, but they’ve made it through Harry’s car without getting noticed on Louis’ bruises or the huge book he had in his bag. But the one thing that they got caught on was their connection. It made Louis’ heart to beat in his throat because he was afraid to acknowledge them for himself that the thought of actually facing them to Harry or his aunt, it almost haunted him.

            The car ride was silent as it was probably predicted by both of them. The house was even more quite since Harry mentioned, his father had a meeting so nobody was in the house except for them. It felt weird, being alone together for longer than usual felt tempting for both of them and Louis sometimes couldn't realize how wrong it was while being in the moment. He'd usually bring up a topic related to Niall or at least mention his name, but it would make the situation weirder than it already was so he decided not to say anything this time.

“We can sit wherever you'd like,” Harry broke the silence with his deep, gentle voice. Louis couldn't do anything but to nod, then he let himself into the living room. The couch looked comfortable enough and both of them could easily fit in to sit together.

“Niall also found his Family Book a while ago,” Harry spoke as they sat on the couch. “Some of the things were written in another language and we tried our best to understand and translate some of the most mentioned words.”

Louis tried to find his voice before speaking. “What were they?” he asked as he tried to pull the book out of his bag.

Harry shrugged. “Killing, bonding, pack and hunters.”

Louis gulped before glancing over the cover page of the book. He traced his finger on the leather coverage before opening up the first page. They were both drawings and texts filling the pages. He carefully turned the pages over, looking into each drawing. He didn't stop turning them over until his eyes met with the drawing of a knife, he stopped breathing for a moment.

“What's wrong?” Harry asked concerned.

Louis tried to stop his shaking hand. “Aiden tried to kill me with this knife.”

“It was looking like this?” He tried to view the knife with a better angle for him to observe.

Louis nodded. “Not exactly within each detail but it was so similar to this one, almost exactly the same.”

“You draw, right?” Harry asked while standing up from the couch, Louis' omega almost screamed when he realized Harry was getting far away from him. He quickly sat back while holding a pen and a paper in his hand. “Do you remember how it looked like?”

Louis nodded again, feeling unsure this time. He took the paper and pen, put the book under the paper and started to draw the details he managed to remember from last night. Surely, he’s never seen a knife similar to the knife Aiden had until seeing the page of the book. He remembered the two pointed edges of the knife and the symbol he could almost see but Aiden’s hard grip on the knife was covering it.

            Harry spoke up before Louis could finish up the drawing. “Did it have this symbol?”

            Louis stopped drawing and looked at the symbol Harry was pointing with his finger on the knife drawing in the book. “I’m not sure,” he said before biting his lip quietly. “His hand was covering that part.”

            “Okay,” Harry said slowly. “Then we’re definitely sure that he is a hunter.”

            Louis didn’t continue drawing. “What do you mean?”

            “This symbol was also in Niall’s Family Book,” Harry started to explain. “And when we managed to translate the words I’ve mentioned before, we also understood that this symbol belonged to the hunters.”

            Louis felt more confused. “I still don’t know the whole deal about hunters, I really couldn’t catch up on it after all the discussion of bonding and your ‘pack’ thing.”

            Harry didn’t seem to mind telling him about it. “Hunters normally look out for full breed wolves. But since we are all half breeds, they actually have no reason to come for us, right?” He continued after getting a nod from Louis. “Well, they normally wouldn’t but the bonding and having a pack changes everything. Bonding our pack means we’re almost as strong as full breed wolves are.”

            “Almost?” Louis questioned, feeling more confused than he was before.

            Harry simply nodded. “We can’t turn into wolves like normal full breeds do even if we bond our pack.”

            Louis frowned. “Then what’s the whole deal about bonding and forming a pack like our parents did in the past?”

            Harry took a deep breath. “You see, the hunters aren’t waiting for us to bond our pack or become stronger than we were. They know that we’re able to bond our pack and get stronger since you’ve come to Yorkshire and you were the only missing one to complete the pack.” He seemed unsure before going on, wasn’t sure if he should’ve since Louis was still shaken up about last night. “They don’t want us to bond our pack like our parents did. Aiden probably tried to kill you because if you were dead, then there’d be no way for us to bond the pack and get strong enough to fight them.”

            Louis had to process all the information Harry just gave to him, there were still things he couldn’t understand. “But why would they still try to kill you after getting rid of me?” He asked in a quiet voice. “I mean if I was dead, you wouldn’t be able to bond the pack like you’ve stated.”

            “Right,” Harry said, he seemed as confused and lost as Louis was. “I don’t think they care if we’re bonded or not. We’re not sure but something must have happened before that fire incident between the hunters and our parents. And they might be still wanting to kill us for their vengeance.”

            He didn’t say anything and wasn’t sure what he could say, just looked down at his drawing of the knife nervously.

            “We need protection,” Harry continued to talk after they both got into silence for a bit. “And bonding the pack seems to be the best option if we don’t want to be in danger or something to happen like it did last night.”

            Louis thought for a while and Harry didn’t try to make him decide faster or interrupted him while he was deeply thinking about it. He remembered the letter and what his mother was saying to him, he had to have a pack and that wasn’t just for his sake.

            “Then let’s get the pack bonded.”

*

            When Harry and Louis arrived at the abandoned house, everyone was already there waiting. Louis didn’t forget to check his neck and if the scarf was properly covering his bruises before they left the car. Harry guided him at the door and gently placed his hand over his back, pushing him into the room that they’ve first introduced him to the idea of their pack. Louis couldn’t understand how he managed to outburst out of the house and get into the woods on his own that day.

            Niall tried to smile and said, “Hi.” Everyone was nervous about what happened last night so he tried his best to break the silence when both of them chimed into the room. He walked up close to Harry, hugged him while Louis tried to get away from both of them. Harry felt uncomfortable enough to keep the hug as short as possible.

            “So,” Perrie spoke up after the awkward moment all of them shared. “You finally agreed to bond the pack?”

            Louis gulped before answering to her, he wasn’t sure if his voice would come out strong or not. “Yes,” he said while nodding his head slowly. “I found a letter from my mother, she had written it before she left here I assume. So that’s why I’m agreeing to do this.”

            “He also found his own Family Book,” Harry added. The group of friends seemed to be shocked while Louis wasn’t able to understand why. “It belongs to his mother and her bloodline but there are more things to know.”

            Louis took the book out of his bag nervously as all of the eyes were on him, making him anxious more than he already was.

            “How did you find it?” Niall asked in a strained voice, his body posture was also tense and almost intimidating for Louis.

            “In my mother’s closet,” Louis answered to Niall when finally managed to take out the book for everyone’s eyes.

            Niall folded his arms in front of his chest. “So you just found it?”

            “Whatever!” Perrie interrupted them. “Who cares? We now have two Family Books that could help us to understand this hunter mania more.”

            “Yes, but he’s never mentioned it before so I just got curious.”

            Louis wanted to become smaller and smaller to disappear completely in the room. “Well, it actually found me. I heard a noise from the closet and saw it laying on the ground before I left for the party.”

            “Why didn’t you mention it to any of us in the party?”

            Louis felt like he was getting angry this time, he didn’t understand why Niall was questioning him all of a sudden even though the book was now laying on the table and everyone was scanning through the pages together but them. “I mentioned it to Harry when he dropped me off, I wasn’t exactly sure what it was or what it meant when I first found it,” he said in a louder voice.

            “First your man, now the Family Book,” Perrie chuckled on her own at what she said. It was enough distracting for both Niall and Louis. “I get that you’re so jealous that from now on, you’re not the only one with the Family Book but like I said, get it in your head this time: Having two books will be more helpful.”

            “Enough,” Harry nearly growled. Louis couldn’t help but bow but still realize the eyes of Niall filling with tears. “As a future pack, this isn’t a very mature conversation. We have so many things to look for so that we can understand how to bond to pack and finally get a protection from the hunters.” He didn’t seem to mind Niall and the way he held his tears back from falling. “Last night Louis could’ve been choked to death and there’s no guarantee that next time we will save our asses again. Please, focus on this for now.”

            Nobody said anything after that, even Perrie finally could shut her mouth which surprised Louis. Niall also took his own Family Book out, it belonged to his mother’s bloodline as well. He mentioned he couldn’t find his father’s anywhere but like Perrie has mentioned before, two Family Books were better than one or none.

            Harry taught Louis some of the words they’ve managed to understand what they meant: _Killing, bonding, pack and hunters._ Niall seemed uncomfortable about how close they were sitting at another table and looking through Louis’ Family Book together. Louis made sure he learnt each word correctly in order to stand up and get away from Harry as quickly as possible. Later on, they brought the two books together, side by side on the table. They specifically looked through the pages where books were mentioning the words “bonding” and “pack”.

            It all made sense when they were together, Louis wasn’t sure how they would’ve bonded the pack without Louis finding the Family Book. According to the drawings and texts were written, they had to find a stone where each of them would scent in order to complete the totem of it. The stone would later needed to be broken apart, if each member truly belonged to each other, the stone would separate in exactly needed number. Louis felt his stomach knotting at the thought where someone out of six wouldn’t make it.

            Harry remembered the stone they had found when they first arrived at this place. He took it out from the box which was looking pretty old. The stone wasn’t shiny but Louis could tell that it used to because it was transparent and he assumed after a while, it started to look dull. None of them could remember why they kept this stone but trying wouldn’t hurt anyone.

            They help the stone and scented it in order, Louis was the last one to scent. Niall gave him the stone without looking at his face, he was chasing from Louis’ eyes too. Louis took the stone from him, feeling bad about everything. He caught Harry staring at him, he looked like he tried to assure everything was alright and Louis couldn’t lie and say that it didn’t help. He closed his eyes and tried his best with scenting the stone inside of his palm. He could smell of them but Harry’s scent seemed to distract him.

            He opened his eyes when he was sure that it was enough. Harry slowly took the stone from his hand. “Now we are going to throw it on the ground and see if it will break apart,” he said while separating the group into a circle so that everyone could see and observe. “Even if it will, we have to make sure it’s exactly six pieces.”

            “And then?” Leigh-Anne asked curiously.

            “According to the books, we have to take the pieces and use them as a necklace piece so that we could wear it everywhere.”

            Nobody spoke again and Harry threw the stone on the ground as he’s stated before. The stone shattered loudly on the ground, the silence and the almost empty room made the noise echoing through their ears. They all got closer to the shattered pieces of stone, held their breath while counting the pieces. Louis sighed in relief, pretty loudly when he counted to six. Nobody made a move towards the pieces, however.

            “The books also stated that the pieces will find its owner so nobody will touch them unless the piece has come by its own,” Harry stated in a stern voice, warning his friends.

            After a while, Louis felt an instant pull on his body. It didn’t feel like the pulling attraction he usually has with Harry, the stone stopped right in front of his foot. Then he realized everyone had their own pieces in front of them as well. He bent down to get the piece between his index finger and thumb, held it carefully.

            They got strings and placed the pieces as their necklace pieces. Louis slowly unwrapped the scarf around his neck, trying to be as careful as possible. Niall seemed to notice the scarf he was pulling out of his neck just at that moment. “Is that your scarf?” He turned towards Harry while asking. Louis immediately stopped his movement when he heard what Niall asked Harry.

            “Uh, yeah,” Harry tried to answer casually, terribly failed. Now everyone got their attention on three of them. “We needed to hide his bruises if someone in the party or his aunt would’ve seen them, not only him but all of us would probably get into trouble.”

            “We?” Niall asked right after, his voice was hinting that he was more than offended.

            “Remember you told me to drive him to his house?” Harry asked ironically, trying to control himself from growling at the Omega.

            Perrie rolled her eyes. “What happened to Mister Mature? And his scolding about the pack?”

            “Let’s all just wear our necklaces and bond our pack properly, shall we?” Waliyha asked. The Beta seemed to catch everyone’s attention.

            Louis slowly put down the scarf and did what Waliyha told them to do. The silver string passed through his hair and then his face, it was long enough to hide it under his clothing. After everyone wore their necklaces, there was no visible evidence of their bond but all of them could feel how it felt. They were connected together now as a pack.

            “Did the book give any information about the leader of the pack? Because we haven’t decided on that yet,” Perrie asked right after the moment. Of course, she’d ask that.

            Harry licked his lips and nodded at her, “The strongest of us will show by themselves, the stone will help as well. The pack already has a dedicated leader.”

            It seemed odd to Louis that the Alpha of the Pack wasn’t the leader already, but then everyone was staring at him. He didn’t understand if it was because of his bruises or he had something on his face. He chuckled nervously, “What?”

            “Your stone piece is glowing,” Waliyha stated. They stared at each other, Louis couldn’t help but remember the night where his eyes were glowing and Waliyha witnessed to it.

            He quickly looked down and saw how shiny the piece was underline his clothing. He took it out quickly then met the eyes that were staring at him. It stopped glowing after a while then he felt another strong flow rushing inside of his body. He closed his eyes through it.

            “Lift your wrist, please,” Harry asked him gently.

            Louis opened his eyes and did what Harry told him to. There was a scar shaped like a moon on the right side of his wrist. Everyone seemed to be as confused as Louis so they lifted their wrists as well. Their scar was different than Louis’ but they were all in the same shape.

            Louis frowned, “What does this mean?”

            “This means that you’re the _Luna,_ the leader of our pack.”

*

            After listening enough of Perrie screaming about the fact that she can’t believe Louis is the pack leader, all of them left the abandoned house. Harry had a private chat with Niall before him and Harry walked to his car. Louis felt guilty about everything, the fact that he still had Harry’s scarf and he found his Family Book. But now he was the leader of their pack so it made everything even worse for his side. He’s offered to give up on being a leader and just give it to someone else in the Pack but Harry clearly explained that it was impossible and he was the leader because he was the strongest. This was the most confusing part for him because if he was the strongest, why couldn’t he defeat Aiden last night?

            Harry and Niall stormed out of the abandoned house, separately. Louis’ eyes opened at their furious figures, stomping their way.

            “Come on,” Harry quickly said, right after he arrived next to Louis. “We’re leaving.”

            “But what about Niall-”

            “Now,” Harry growled and Louis stopped breathing.

            He tried not to cry while getting into the car. Harry quickly got inside right after him, they both buckled their seatbelts. Harry took off the second after they were both buckled into their seats. Louis wanted to ask him what was wrong and many more other things but he felt so anxious about it.

            Soon after, Harry pulled over at God knows where. “I’m sorry I growled at you.”

            Louis couldn’t say anything to him, barely looking into Harry’s eyes.

            Harry slowly placed his hand under Louis’ chin, made him look up carefully. When their eyes finally met, Louis could see how hurt Harry was into his stare. Harry caressed his thumb, under Louis’ chin so gently that Louis almost felt like he could melt into Harry’s touch. Then his nose caught the smell of Harry and the calming pheromones he was releasing. They kept staring at each other, deeply into their eyes.

            “It’s okay,” Louis finally answered to Harry’s apology.

            Harry shook his head, hand still placed on Louis. “No, it’s not but I really apologize,” he said. “I should never take my anger on you, especially when you have nothing with it.”

            Louis then understood that Harry and Niall had a fight but wasn’t sure that he didn’t have anything with it. Because he was almost sure that he was the main topic of their fight. He didn’t know what to say to Harry other than it was okay so he decided not to tell that. “I don’t want to be late for dinner.”

            Harry nodded while getting both of his hands on the wheel, stopping himself from touching Louis more or further. “Absolutely.”

*

_“They did it,” the young man entered the room without any kind of rush. “They bonded their pack.”_

_The old man smiled bitterly. “We knew they would,” he said in his deep voice. “If that dumb kid didn’t mess up the mission, that Omega would be dead and they wouldn’t be able to do shit and would pray to be already that like him. But now they bonded the pack, huh?”_

_The dark haired man shrugged. “The pack wouldn’t help them, though.”_

_The old man cut his eyes at the younger man. “We’re not sure about what you’re going to do too, right?”_

_“We’re certainly sure that I’m going to end this, not letting it start in the first place,” he seemed sure of himself while talking, he didn’t fear the old man or what he could do to him._

_“Then you better,” the old man paused before he kept going, stood right in front of the younger man who had a darker skin compared to his own. “End it. As you’ve stated many times before.”_


	5. the loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so apparently i update once a month!! school starts in september so i don't know if i can update more than i did this summer because i also have to finish up on my bl fic exchange assignment but i promise if i feel inspired enough i will update once more before my school actually starts!! i hope you'll enjoy this chapter, feedback is always great so please comment anything you thought while reading xxx thank you for the support and all the kudos, many kisses and love to all of you bubbies  
> also there's a death mention in the chapter, not detailed but if it's triggering for you, just wanted to warn!!

            “Can I give you my phone number?” Harry asked as soon as the car pulled over, right in front of Louis’ house. Louis couldn’t understand why he asked it all of a sudden so Harry continued to talk. “I know it sounds weird but after what happened, I just want you to be able to call me whatever emergency happens. And I know that you’re strongest of all but I’d like to help anytime if that’s okay with you.”

            Then, Louis  _really_  didn’t know what to say. He was out of words and wasn’t sure if he was breathing properly. “That’s so nice of you, Harry,” he finally spoke as he released the breath he was holding in, making Harry relieved as well. Louis soon realized that he had to take out his phone and give it to Harry to make him type his number up. He quickly took his phone out of the tight jean pocket and kindly gave it to Harry who was eagerly waiting to type.

            Before Harry was able to finish and give the phone back to Louis, Louis thought for a moment. “Can you also give me Niall’s phone number?” Harry paused before looking up at Louis with a confused face. “I mean, if I can’t reach you or anything,” he quickly added.

He watched Harry to type Niall’s number as well. Then he took his phone from Harry, promising that he will call him whenever he feels unsafe or he needs any kind of help. Louis found him cute, the way he was concerned about him made his Omega overwhelmed and taken care of. Louis knew it’s been a while since he’d been affectionate with anyone so the Omega inside nearly purred and made him almost whine right next to Harry. Before anything got messy like it usually did, Louis thought it was safe to leave the car and just go into his house.

“I really should catch up on dinner,” Louis said, hesitantly. His voice was mewling inside so he tried his best to sound as firm as he could so he’d convince Harry and his Alpha as well.

Harry gently smiled, tried to control himself as well. “Of course,” he said after unlocking the car doors. “Have a good night, Louis.”

            Louis nervously smiled and unbuckled himself from the seat, “You too.”

            Louis tried not to look at behind his back directly at Harry’s car as much as Harry tried not to stare at Louis’ back while he was walking away, but both of them failed miserably.

*

            “Hello?” Niall answered his phone after it rang twice. “Who am I speaking to?”

            Louis felt his breath hitching. “Hi, Niall. This is Louis.”

            He seemed to pause for a moment before speaking again. “Oh, hi, Louis.”

            Louis bit his lip, tried to speak quickly before they both fell into the awkward phase of the conversation –or maybe they were already having it now. “I asked Harry to give me your number, hopefully, it’s alright.”

            “Huh, Harry gave you my number?” Niall asked and Louis couldn’t figure out his tone, whether he was being sarcastic or being generally mad at Louis. “Did he also ask for me to apologize to you even though you called me?”

            “No!” Louis quickly said in a higher voice. “I mean, no,” he tried to lower his voice down, not to shout at him and make the situation even worse. “I wanted to apologize, he didn’t even know my intentions.”

            “Oh?” Niall seemed to calm down.

            Louis took a deep breath. “Yeah, I just wanted to say I’m sorry for what had happened today if I caused any disturbance or tension between you and Harry or generally if I’ve caused you distress. I really didn’t mean to and I apologize, sincerely.”

            Niall sighed this time. “No, I’m sorry, Louis,” he answered back which seemed to surprise Louis because he didn’t expect this at all. “My relationship with Harry or the problems we are having has nothing to do with you but I’ve done nothing but act like it’s because of you. I’m sorry.”

            “Still, I feel like I have given reasons to your problems and I didn’t get mad at you when you were angry with me because I feel like you’re right.” Maybe he was making it worse because he was guilty, he deserved to feel guilty but Niall didn’t seem to agree and trying to convince him wouldn’t be the best idea.

            “No,” Niall insisted again. “I promise, we shouldn’t have made you feel like you’re the reason. I’m speaking on behalf of Harry as well, we’re sorry, Lou.”

            Louis smiled, feeling relieved. He was glad that he could breathe properly without the feeling of a huge rock in his heart. “So we are okay?”

            Niall’s answer sounded genuine. “More than okay!”

            “I’m glad to hear that, Niall, thank you.”

*

            Louis managed to get some sleep, it wasn’t so hard this time because he felt better when he was there for dinner on time with his aunt and he might’ve solved the situation between him and Niall. He woke up earlier than usual but his aunt left the house even earlier. Louis remembered how she mentioned she had an early shift tomorrow so she’d probably be gone when he wakes up. Louis didn’t think it was  _this_ early but it seemed to help after all because right after he had his breakfast, Harry was by his doorstep.

            “You really should consider if my aunt is in the house or not before coming to here all of a sudden,” Louis greeted him confused.

            Harry smirked. “She seems to enjoy my company, though.”

            “Good morning, Harry.” Louis led him from the door to inside of the house, welcoming him. “It doesn’t change the fact that she’s suspicious but also aware that you’re Niall’s boyfriend,” Louis said after turning his back to him, going back to the kitchen and waiting for him to follow him there. “It’s a small place after all.”

            Harry didn’t make a comment about Niall or his relationship, Louis wouldn’t know what to say either. “Did you have breakfast?”

            Louis nodded. “Yeah, would you like some if you’re hungry?”

            “No, I’ve had breakfast before coming to here.”

            Louis nodded again, feeling more confused this time. “Okay.”

            Harry took a deep breath. “I’ve actually come by to tell you this place I’ve found,” he quickly explained. “And because I didn’t take your phone number from you, I had to come here and talk face to face.”

            Louis’ eyes grew, “I’m so sorry, Harry!”

            Harry shrugged and only laughed. “It’s fine, I was only teasing,” he said while still laughing. “Although it would be great to have your number so I wouldn’t have to drive over here and make your aunt more suspicious every time, I assume.”

            Louis tried not to smirk while taking his phone from him, looked down at the phone and hoped it was enough to cover up his blush. “You were talking about a place?”

            “Oh, yeah,” Harry nodded. “So I’ve done some research last night and found a store where someone sells these old and historic stuff. The owner is pretty educated as well.” He put his computer out from his bag, placed it on the kitchen table which they were sitting next to. Quickly opened its screen and they both stared at the website Harry’s found. “And I came across to this.” He pointed at a knife. It looked similar to the one Aiden had when he tried to kill Louis.

            “Do you think this will lead us anything?” Louis asked without pulling his eyes apart from the screen and the image of the knife.

            Harry shrugged. “It’s better than nothing, plus it’s not that far away. It’s fairly close to the abandoned house.”

            “Then let’s get going if you don’t need anything from here.”

            Harry’s car was slowly becoming a nest for Louis. It was weird to think about it but he could also say that he was literally feeling that Harry was thinking the same thing and it felt comforting for both of them. Louis was also aware that Harry wasn’t dropping Niall off that much since their senses became stronger. He pushed Harry’s scarf from his nose to smell inside of the car carefully. He couldn’t smell a trace of Niall in there. Harry seemed to catch on that, though.

            “Checking your territory?” Louis couldn’t look at his face out of embarrassment but he could hear the hint of a smirk in Harry’s voice.

            “Uh,” was all Louis could say, he was already feeling his whole face covered up in blush.

            Harry laughed, so softly that melted Louis’ whole heart. “It’s been a while since I’ve had someone other than you in my car, honestly.”

            “I wasn’t-”

            Harry didn’t seem to listen to him. “Hm, what was that?”

            Louis curled up in his car seat more, made both of them feel like he was nesting even more. “I wasn’t doing anything.” His voice was so small and muffled into the scarf.

            “Hm, is that so?”

            Louis smiled, tried to hide his face under the scarf as well. “Yes.”

            Harry smiled, making his dimples shown clearly.

            “So, you didn’t drive Niall to the party as well?”

            Harry raised his brow, still smiling which made Louis relief. “No, he went to the party with his own car.”

            Louis smiled, didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to and both of them knew it. He still couldn’t understand how it was possible. It was clearly a soulmate characteristic but were they only tricking themselves? Was Louis being delusional because of what Harry’s father had said to him when they first met? But it didn’t feel like a fantasy when it was put into words, it sounded crazy. The way he was feeling could be the most realistic thing he’s felt in his whole life. The craziest part was that Louis was almost sure that Harry was in the exact same conflict but realization as well. Louis’ smile only grew bigger.

            After a while, Louis pulled his knees to his chest to make himself more comfortable and it made Harry smirk wider. There was a pause when Louis realized there was no mark on Harry’s wrist while he was looking at him driving the car.

            “What happened your pack mark?”

            Harry glanced over his wrist. “It was gone in the morning, I didn’t understand too.”

            Louis frowned and looked at his own wrist after he pulled the long sleeve back. “Mine is still there.”

            “Hm,” Harry was thinking. “Maybe it’s because you’re the Luna.”

            “Might be,” Louis said, unconvinced. “Well, good thing I’m usually wearing long sleeves anyway.”

            Harry shrugged. “If we can hide it that long, yeah, it’s a good thing.”

            There was that too. Would they actually be able to hide their bond from their parents or elders? Would they get banned as well? But then, what would they do with hunters? Not only them but their families too? There were too many questions and Louis only hoped for the person they were going to meet would know more information. They needed to know some answers and how to protect themselves.

*

            A young man named Greg greeted them after they entered the store. The sound of the bell which rang right after they opened the door echoed through Louis’ ears. It hasn’t been a complete day after their bonding so he was still struggling to manage and control his supervised senses.

            “How can I help you?” Greg asked them while smiling, standing up from where he was sitting right next to the table full of various stones. Louis could only recognize crystal.

            Harry gently put his hand on Louis’ back to guide him to walk closer towards Greg. “Hello, my name is Harry Styles.”

            Greg smiled kindly. “I’m Greg, what can I do for you guys?”

            “This is my friend, Louis Tomlinson,” Harry explained quickly. “I’ve done some research and I found this store on the internet and I thought maybe someone in here could help us with…” He paused before leaning closer to Greg and lowering his voice, “…some piece of knife that we’d seen before, I also saw something similar in your website.”

            Greg’s smile quickly faded before Harry could finish what he was saying. He seemed to hesitate on what he was going to say, Louis almost could say that he was holding back some things under his tongue. “I don’t think I can help you with that,” he said after a while, his voice sounded dry and cold. “I’m not the owner of the store, I just know the basics of things we sell.”

            Louis didn’t know what to say. “Will the owner be here any time?”

            “No,” Greg answered dryly, not making any kind of eye contact with Louis. “He’s on leave.”

            “Oh,” Harry said after a moment of silence between three.

            Greg didn’t even try to smile. “If you don’t intend to buy anything from the store, I might ask for you to leave, please.”

            Louis wasn’t sure if he was feeling hurt or furious over the young man who was standing right in front of him. He felt ashamed because Greg was looking at him like he was despising Louis’ whole existence. The uncomfortable feeling Harry was in grew bigger each moment so Louis reached out for his wrist, pulled him through the door to leave the store as Greg asked them to.

            They didn’t say a word before they completely left the building. Louis was still thinking that he actually didn’t process what had happened moments ago, he couldn’t find any logical reason to be rudely kicked out of a store.

            They sat in the car silently, without saying a word and still feeling shocked by what had happened. Harry started the car before murmuring a quiet “Sorry,” to Louis.

            “It wasn’t your fault,” Louis shook his head. “I don’t think it was ours, the guy was completely weird. He seemed kind at first so I really didn’t understand why he kicked us out.”

            Harry sighed, looking directly at the road. “Me neither.”

            Louis’ thoughts were interrupted by the text notification came from his phone. He quickly pulled it out to see if it was from his aunt –it was from Niall. “Niall is asking for me to come to the abandoned house.”

            “I’ll drop you off.”

            “Aren’t you coming too?” Louis asked curiously before replying to Niall that he’ll be there as soon as possible.

            “No,” Harry answered. “I have to go to my dad’s office. He wanted to see me after his own meeting.”

            Louis bit inside his cheek while putting his phone back in his pocket. “Hopefully nothing serious or bad?”

            Harry shrugged. “As far as I know, nothing like that.”

            “Good,” Louis tried to smile although he was still feeling weird about the store incident and how Greg treated him.

            Harry stopped the car when they arrived at the house.

            Louis turned over, quickly changing his mind from opening the car door. “Do you think he acted that way because of me?”

            Harry frowned. “Why would he? You literally didn’t do anything, to him or in general.”

            “I know,” Louis sighed. “But he seemed to be acting tough to me.”

            “Yes, he was a total jerk about you. I’m sure it was nothing personal since you haven’t met him before. Right?”

            Louis didn’t agree at all. “I guess."

            “Hey,” Harry slowly said to Louis, trying to make him look up. He gently placed his thumb and index finger on Louis’ chin, caressing it with his thumb while also making him look up. “It wasn’t your fault. I’m sorry we went to some weird guy’s place.”

            Louis made a funny face. “It wasn’t your fault.”

            “Neither was yours,” Harry smiled, making his dimples visible for Louis’ glowing blue eyes. Even Louis couldn’t help himself to smile while looking at him.

            “Okay, Harry,” He got his head out of Harry’s hold, not so much within the lingering thoughts on his mind which were filled with Harry –only Harry and maybe his dimples too.

            Harry let his hand down, not being awkward about it at all. Louis thought this might be one of his favourite things about Harry. Some things were awkward and uncomfortable between him and Harry but Harry never visibly showed his uncomfortable situation towards Louis, he was always acting like everything was normal about them –unlike Louis. He could blush whenever Harry looked at him, directly or not, it could be just a glance he’d flush all over his body. He didn’t know if his inner Omega was extra crazy or he was just crazy about Harry.

            “Call me if anything happens, please?”

            Louis rolled his eyes while smiling at Harry, letting himself out of the seatbelt. “Okay, Harry.”

            Harry smiled too, showing his teeth this time. “Okay, Louis.”

            They stared at each other, it was silent but Louis didn’t feel it was weird or anything similar to that. It was somehow comforting, to find a peaceful kind of silent from someone was lovingly yet very wrong since that person has a boyfriend.

            “I’ve got to go now,” Louis slowly broke through the silence.

            “Okay, Louis.”

            Louis left the car before he could blush in front of Harry again. He waved at Harry until his car took off and got far away. He sighed, very deeply. It wasn’t enough to breathe properly so he took a big breath again and didn’t release it before counting until ten. He closed his eyes for a moment, tried to make the image of smiling Harry fade away before he’d enter the house.

            Niall, Perrie, Leigh-Anne and Waliyha were already seated in the room when he came inside. Niall smiled when he saw Louis in the doorway. “Hi there, Lou.”

            Louis felt excited to get sincerity from Niall since the phone call, it made him a bit relieved and so happy. “What are you guys up to?”

            “Well,” Niall sat up to greet Louis properly. “We didn’t let you catch a breath from the incident and by bonding our pack in a rush, we wanted to check up on you.”

            “Oh,” Louis really didn’t know what to say. “I’m still shaken up but bonding the pack helped a bit, making me feel stronger and all.”

            “Well, of course,” Perrie barged into the conversation. “You’re the Luna after all, right?” She was smirking but he felt uncomfortable under her strong stare. Her blue eyes were as cold as ice and he was pretty sure she could as cut him open with just her one look.

            Louis coughed. “Not just because I’m the Luna,” he tried to explain even though he was sure Perrie would get the wrong idea of him in any kind of way. “Feeling the bond between us weird, strong –different.”

            “I agree,” Niall stayed right next to Louis, not letting Perrie go over him as she usually tried to.

            “It feels weird to be bonded, especially with multiple people,” Louis tried to explain further.

            Perrie rolled her eyes at Louis and his comment on the situation. “Yeah, of course, you’d say that,” she said, smiling.

            Louis didn’t understand what she meant and Niall didn’t even try to protest her rude attitude and ignored her. “I don’t know,” he said while looking down at his feet. “Being bonded with people is really different, you literally feel the connection.”

            “Well,” Perrie said while sitting down on the chair and crossed her legs. “Wouldn’t you already know that?”

            His whole face turned into red, “No.”

            Perrie frowned, “Of course you’d know!” she said jokingly. “You’re the most not-single person in this room.”

            Niall didn’t know what to say, “Uh...”

            “You’re not bonded with Harry?” Believe it or not, Louis tried to not sound as offensive as he just did but it was just shocking. Perrie said they knew each other since birth and grew up together and still being together as a couple but not being bonded sounded strange to Louis and possibly to everyone because even Louis considered being bonded with his ex-boyfriend before realizing how much he was hurting Louis.

            Niall tried to act like he didn’t care, but the way he looked gave all of his emotions to daylight. “No, and we don’t have to be.”

            No, they didn’t have to be bonded, but the nature of instincts and their interactions wouldn’t help to stay as a couple without a bond after all of these years. It wasn’t just strange, it was purely insane. Louis bit inside his cheek to keep himself from saying more, but Niall was the one who kept on telling.

            “We actually tried to…” he said slowly, his eyes fell down once again and he looked even more insecure than he was already as if it was possible. “I don’t know, we were both so young so I guess we weren’t ready. So the bond couldn’t be formed and… We just let it be for future.” 

            Perrie tried not to say anything because anything that she will say would be rude and harmful to Niall. And he already looked like he was in deep pain, although Louis could see what was behind that sadness and teary eyes; Niall was clearly afraid of losing Harry and could be even mad at Louis, even though Louis didn’t intentionally do anything towards Harry. Knowing that his emotions weren’t intentional wasn’t helping the situation at all because he somehow knew the feelings were mutual with Harry which was making everything even worse than it already was.

            He didn’t even realize he was holding onto the scarf around his neck, his nose deeply buried into the smell of the Alpha. Niall saw what he was doing when he finally could look up, feeling awkward about the silence in the room. He squinted his eyes at Louis, more specifically, at the scarf. He could tell it was Harry’s. He didn’t say anything, didn’t make a comment about it and he actually didn’t need to.

            “We really should find a way to cover up those bruises, y’know?” Perrie broke the silence, glancing over Louis’ standing figure.

            “What about concealer?” Leigh-Anne suggested, talking for the first time ever since Louis entered the room.

            Perrie thought for a while. “Hm, maybe we could mix all of the concealer colours to match up with Louis’ skin tone.”

            Niall took that as a chance to sit down again before he fell into his own silence.

            “Do you have your stuff with you though?” Waliyha asked curiously.

            Perrie pouted her lips. “Nope.”

            “Then we should go to shopping, it would be easier to look for his actual skin colour anyways,” Leigh-Anne explained.

            “Let’s get going then,” Perrie looked at everyone in the room.

            Waliyha sat up first. “You guys just get going, I have to go back home.”

            Leigh-Anne frowned. “Why?”

            “My grandma is waiting for me, I promised that I’d help her baking.”

            Perrie actually smiled. “Cute!” Then she looked at Louis. “Then Leigh-Anne and I will be helping you with makeup.”

            They left the house together, Niall still was quiet but he clearly was coming along with girls and Louis for shopping. They said goodbye to Waliyha and walked to Perrie’s car. The image of the car made Louis shiver with the thought of his first day at the campus.

            “Where’s your car?” Niall asked him suddenly.

            “Um,” Louis was caught. He didn’t even think about it before Niall asked. “Harry dropped me off.”

            Niall didn’t say anything and Louis could swear it felt worse than anything he could’ve just told him. They all got inside the car and watched Waliyha’s car to take off. Perrie was smart enough to turn the radio on because Niall’s silence felt deeper each minute, especially to Louis so he felt grateful towards Perrie for the first time.

*

            After they found the exact colour that would both match his skin tone and enough to cover up the bruises, they went on to continue shopping. Louis was checking out what the girls were looking at or showing to him, he clearly wasn’t interested in shopping.

            “I kind of feel bad for him,” Perrie said to Louis suddenly. After Louis gave her a confused look Perrie nodded her head towards Niall who was pretty much away from them, looking at sweaters with Leigh-Anne.

            Louis almost rolled his eyes. “It’s none of our business.”

            “Yeah, right,” Perrie laughed at him. “I don’t think it isn’t exactly your business since him and Harry got even colder after your appearance.”

            Louis tried to walk away from her but Perrie held his wrist strongly, Louis almost laughed in her face. Pulled his wrist out of her hand quickly and strongly, it felt stronger than Perrie’s hold. “Don’t ever try to use your supervised strength on me,” he told her, looking into her eyes directly, his voice sounded calm. “And try to remember that _I’m_ the Luna, so don’t make me use my actual strength on you.”

            He didn’t let her say anything before he quickly walked away from her. He didn’t think she’d have something to say either, she was completely gobsmacked from Louis’ sudden outburst. He’d been aggressive and stressed lately, after bonding the pack and getting almost killed –he didn’t need Perrie to bitch around as well, especially about him and Harry.

            Niall and Leigh-Anne tried to act if they didn’t just witness what happened between him and Perrie, still looking through clothes. Perrie didn’t speak to him until they went back to her car, only asked for his address.

            “Hm,” Perrie seemed surprised. “You live close to me.”

            “Then maybe you should start to drop him off even though he has his own car,” Niall outburst suddenly, making everyone look at him shocked.

            Louis gulped down through his dry throat. “There’s no need.”

            Perrie tried to laugh even though she was feeling as tense as everyone felt in the car. “And not like I’d ever accepted him in my car, ever again.”

            Louis tried to laugh too, tried to sweeten things up between him and Perrie and also it was a way to avoid what Niall just told. He wasn’t sure if he had a right to be offended because Niall pretty much said the truth out there. Harry didn’t need to come over and drive him to everywhere –Louis knew he didn’t need Harry to drive him to places as well. However, Louis didn’t know how he wouldn’t feel needy for Harry for whatever and whenever. He had his own car, but just this morning, he thought of Harry’s car as a nest. Even Harry pointed out the fact that it was slowly becoming his territory.

            Perrie dropped off Niall and then Leigh-Anne until he drove over Louis’ house. “I’m sorry for my behaviour today.”

            “It’s alright,” Louis shrugged, he couldn’t care less about it at the moment after what happened with Niall earlier. “And thank you for saving me through _that_ situation.”

            Perrie laughed. “Well, we have to look out for each other as a pack, even for our own Luna,” she said, looking at him side-eye. “And I know that you’d do the same thing for each one of us, that’s why you were chosen to be strongest and to be a leader.”

            “Not just as a pack,” Louis smiled at her confused face. “We have to look out for each other because we’re all friends now.”

            She seemed to like the idea but couldn’t get over her ego so she rolled her eyes at Louis. “There’s no way I’d consider you as a friend, even agreeing on that you are the Luna is hard for me.”

            “You needed a bit of scare then?” Louis laughed this time.

            “Sure, only in your dreams you could scare me.”

            Louis didn’t say anything further, he was pretty sure even Niall and Leigh-Anne realized he could scare Perrie away. He didn’t want to show it off in her face since she was seeming to be warming up to Louis slowly.

*

            After dinner, Louis went up to his room and pulled out the concealer he bought today. He closed his door and took off the scarf slowly from his neck. It was becoming less painful but the bruises were still soared when he touched them. He got few drops of the liquid on his fingertips and went over his neck carefully. He looked at himself and his neck closely in front of the mirror, to make sure he covered them up perfectly.

            He looked at the scarf, feeling a bit upset. He didn’t need to wear it anymore but it was a good thing too since his aunt started to get suspicious about it as well. She might’ve smelled Harry on it and thought maybe he was courting Louis. Louis hated that he blushed at the thought of Harry courting him. Harry was Niall’s boyfriend –whom he still haven’t bonded with. He thought Perrie was being rude when she talked about it to Louis, but it was clearly weird. He didn’t feel bad or sorry for Niall, it was worrying due to their culture. Niall didn’t say they just chose not to, he also mentioned that they tried to before but the bond didn’t form.

            Bonds were special between Alphas and Omegas. They were meant to be lifelong time and was painful to break through. To prevent getting a place where they’d break the bond, their souls or inner Alphas and Omegas would know if it was meant to be or not. It was also to prevent any kind of rape or accidental bond between people. This was the part where Louis got confused thinking over. Bonds don’t form when it isn’t mutual or meant to be, that’s why they don’t form during accidental, drunken bonding or when someone gets raped and tried to get bonded.

            Niall and Harry, however, are a couple who had been together since their childhood. They either aren’t meant to be or the wanting of the bond isn’t mutual between them. Niall seemed pretty hurt over the thought of bond not forming between them so it was clear that he wanted it. Harry said he loved Niall countless times. Was Louis actually meant to be with Harry so the bond wouldn’t form between Harry and Niall? Louis thought he was being delusional again, he had no right to think that Harry and Niall weren’t meant to be and he belonged to Harry.

            He glanced over his window to close the drapes before changing into his bed clothing. He realized Waliyha’s lights were turned off. Since she went home earlier than them, maybe she also went to sleep earlier since it was Monday tomorrow. He didn’t have any early lecture tomorrow, just two hours of lecture in the afternoon. He wasn’t sure if Perrie would be sweet with him again tomorrow but he was glad he had a chance to have fun with her today, seeing her good side too.

*

            Perrie didn’t talk with Louis when he arrived at the classroom, she simply ignored him until the lecture ended and Louis wasn’t exactly surprised. After the two hours of lecture, she came by and sat next to him. “Have you seen Waliyha today?”

            Louis frowned and thought for a moment. “No.”

            “Last night? By your house or somewhere close?”

            “Wait, why? Did something happen?”

            She seemed serious and worried. “I don’t know, Leigh-Anne is freaking out. She and Waliyha are a lot closer and she couldn’t get a call back from her last night.”

            “Her lights were already turned off when I head to bed,” Louis explained to Perrie, starting to feel nervous as well as Perrie. “I thought she went to sleep early.”

            Perrie pouted her lips while thinking. “Well, Leigh-Anne did too but she’s nowhere to be found right now.”

            “Do you think she never went to her house yesterday?”

            Perrie didn’t answer to him for a while. “Do you have any more lectures today?”

            Louis shook his head. “No, this was pretty much it.”

            “Then we should go to your house and see if she stayed at her house or not.”

            Louis sat up with Perrie, walking alongside her to leave the building they were in. “And what if she isn’t there?”

            Perrie shook her head while fastening her steps. “I don’t want to ask her grandmother and make her worried too.”

            They went inside Louis’ car and Louis started his car quickly, they took off from the parking lot. Today was his aunt’s off day, so she’d be at home at the moment. His gut feeling was telling him to talk with his aunt, telling her everything about their pack and bonding. She’d knew the information they needed and help to find Waliyha. But then, he knew nobody would agree with him on this since they had mentioned that if the adults would get involved, they’d try to break the bond and tear the pack apart. They needed their pack and it wasn’t for only their own protection, in that case, the adults and their families would be in danger too.

            After they arrived, both of them weren’t sure about what to do. Louis somehow didn’t want to leave the car and get into the reality of her being lost. Perrie pretty much seemed the same way, hesitated even to take the seatbelt off from her.

            “I have an idea,” Louis said suddenly right after they left the car and closed the doors. “We can use our supervised senses.”

            Perrie seemed to understand. “To trace her smell from here to inside the house? Do you think we can do that?”

            Louis shrugged, it seemed to be the best idea they had so far. “We could always try.”

            Perrie nodded her head and they walked in front of the house. It was hard to control, not like they could specifically search through her smell out of all of the scents they were reaching through. “I don’t think she’s there, Louis,” Perrie said after a while, feeling already out of hope.

            Louis didn’t want to give up easily, he pushed it further. “Maybe she got lost in the forest,” he suggested. “It was becoming dark when she left us to go on her own. She might’ve taken the wrong turn and got stuck in the forest.”

            “Now?”

            “Well, we might be already out of time!”

            Perrie took a deep breath. “Okay, we will also try to trace down her smell in the forest.”

            It was still daylight so both of them tried to relieve by relying on it. Perrie was familiar with the forest since she’d been to the abandoned house multiple times enough to get a chance to explore around. This was the reason why she found it odd and almost impossible that Waliyha got lost, but it was also worrying so she decided to believe in what Louis suggested.

            “Are you getting any kind of smell?” Perrie asked while they were walking down a low cliff, covering up their shoes in mud since it was raining this morning.

            Louis nodded. “Yes, not a strong one but the trace of her smell is definitely in this forest, in somewhere.”

            Perrie soon realized the smell Louis was talking about too. “I think it’s coming from right there,” she showed the right side of where they were standing. “There’s a road closer to there so your theory might be just right.”

            “Let us walk then.”

            They continued to walk until Perrie stopped her steps and just stood there, body movements to a minimum and almost staying frozen like that.

            “Hey,” Louis stopped too, looking at his back, right at her. “What’s wrong?”

            She didn’t say anything –she couldn’t. She just stared at what was seem to be behind Louis’ back. Louis didn’t ask anything further and focused on where Perrie was looking at. Louis squinted his eyes before he remembered his sight should’ve been supervised as well. He then realized Waliyha’s car was there, crashed into a tree. He ran without having a second thought on it.

            “Louis!” Perrie screamed at Louis, behind and far away from him. “Stop!”

            “Why?” Louis asked, stopping like she told him to, from going over her car.

            “Please, wait,” she screamed again before jogging right next to him. “I’m not getting a smell from her.”

            Louis’ throat felt dry. “Do you think she’s kidnapped?”

            Perrie’s eyes started to fill up with tears, she shook her head nonstop, can’t focus on anywhere. Her vision was almost blurry. “No,” she sobbed. “I’m not getting a smell from her.”

            Louis didn’t understand what she was meant so he decided to go over there but Perrie stopped her, held his hand strongly. “No.”

            “What’s going on?”

            “Louis,” she sobbed again. Her breathing was shaken up, sounded like she was almost choking through her sobs. “Please, don’t go there.”

            Louis sighed, tried to remain calm in front of her. “Perrie, please, tell me what’s going on.”

            “We’re not getting her scent because we’ve lost her,” she said in a scream mixed with a sob.

            “She’s kidnapped?”

            Perrie shook her head while bending on her knees, letting go of her whole body. “We’ve lost her, Louis.”

            Louis didn’t believe it. It must’ve been a joke. He couldn’t believe himself that how he’d rather her being kidnapped. He walked to the car, even though Perrie was still screaming and begging him not to go. He should actually see if it was the reality or not. He was able to sense a figure before he went over the car but still no trace of any smell around the car.

            “Waliyha?” His voice was shaking, not properly coming out of his mouth.

            He opened the car door to meet with her body. She had cuts all over face from the broken window and bruised arms. Louis realized there was dry blood on the seat next to her, it must’ve come from her arm. He observed the scar carefully enough to realize it was from a similar knife he’d been almost killed with. He didn’t dare to touch or get any closer to her body. His ears were ringing and he tried his best to stay put, not falling down or blacking out. He walked next to Perrie with wobbly legs.

            “Perrie,” he said, his breath wasn’t stable and he was going into a panic attack. “I think I should call my aunt.”

*

            Louis didn’t understand how the past two weeks went just like that. They still haven’t prepared a proper funeral for Waliyha. It hurt him to think she barely had anyone other than the pack and her grandmother. He had learnt that she lost both of her parents when she was just a baby and her grandmother raised her. The thought didn’t leave his mind for a long time, it was the first time he had felt his heart aching this much since his mother died.

            His aunt, on the other hand, learnt about everything after Louis called him. It was too late to save Waliyha because she already was dead since probably the night before. All of them confessed that they had bonded their pack to be safer and to be able to protect themselves. Rach explained that none of them had any individual supervised strength, it was only available when one of them was with them. They all felt guilty because they thought Waliyha could handle anything since they’d bond their pack and got extra of strength for themselves. She also didn’t let other adults know about this. The loss was portrayed as a car accident for the community of Yorkshire. It wasn’t a close place to the abandoned house so they had a save from there as well.

            Louis didn’t get any sleep at night, he’d sometimes fell asleep during the day. After he came back from campus, he’d take naps sometimes for an hour or less. It wasn’t enough compared to what he should actually have but it was also enough to get through the whole day.

            It was all over the campus, each study building was talking about the girl who had no one and lost herself too. Leigh-Anne was the most shaken up out of all of them, she felt guilty and responsible –all of them did but it didn’t mean they were actually responsible for her death. It could’ve happened to any of them because they believed they were also strong while they were alone. Harry was driving alone too, the thought of the same thing happening to Harry was the scariest thing for Louis. It felt selfish but he was emotionally unstable so there was nobody to actually blame.

            They didn’t meet up since the day Louis and Perrie found her body. After what Rach explained to them, it was pretty much enough for them for that week. They didn’t see each other or try to talk to each other for that whole week. Nobody intentionally stayed away from each other but it somehow happened. It felt worse due to the bond they had but Louis somehow could understand that it was the most painful for him and Harry.

            His aunt tried her best and Louis appreciated her with his whole heart but he still wasn’t ready to completely talk again. They’d have a small talk during dinner then Louis’d drag himself up in his bedroom. He’d try to keep his mind busy so he’d do all of his homework before heading to bed for a complete failure.

            This night, he didn’t have any work to complete. So he got his big drawing book and a pencil in his hand, walked over to the window. He sat down right next to it, he looked at the room he saw right in front of him. His heart hurt when he remembered himself looking at the room, questioning why the lights were turned off.

            Drawing the room from his window point of view wasn’t exactly the best idea to keep his mind busy from misery but he started it without even realizing it. The room seemed even darker in his drawing because he knew deep inside that room was dark and not just because the lights were turned off but she was gone. He closed the book and made its cover to make a loud sound in his quiet room. He sat up to turn his own lights off.

            After his room got completely dark, he realized there was a lingering light from outside to his room. He went on his tiptoes to see outside better. There was fire. His heart sink in didn’t know what to do. He realized there was a man standing right next to the fire, all he was wearing was black from head to toe as well as his hair. He looked up to Louis’ window and Louis somehow couldn’t pull his eyes away from stranger’s own eyes. They were hazel. The hazel eyes shined through along with the fire next to him, looked deeply into his blue ones. Louis blinked once, kept thinking the word on his mind repetitively.  _Hazel._

_*_

_“Young girl WM (18) died in a car crash, into the woods. Found in her car which has been completely shattered and crashed by the tree. One of her tires seemed to be torn down. The autopsy showed no trace of alcohol or drug so it seemed that she went into the tree by the lack of tires on the car._

_“She had cuts on her arm so some people seem to believe she was already suicidal since she had no family other than her grandmother. The community wishes health and patience to her grandmother and friends. People of Yorkshire should be very careful around the woods and especially in the forest to prevent these kinds of young losses in our community.”_


	6. the bloodline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! it's awful of me, I know but the last time I've updated this story was back in august and now it's officially 2019. I actually wanted to update with a double chapter as an apology but that clearly couldn't happen with the tight schedule I currently have. but I promise you (mark my word, if you'd like) after I'm done with my final exams which will be done in may, I'm all yours and ao3's to finish this story this year! I would also suggest reading my other story which I also plan on finishing this year but since I completely abandoned that one after the first chapter, I really don't know:/  
> about the chapter!! a very minor narry scene but I can assure you that you won't regret reading it and will be actually happy with it;) (did I give away enough before you read the actual chapter???). also thank you all of reading and to those who leave comments and kudos, I appreciate so much! I hope not all of you have given up on my skills as an author or this story, but here it is now  
> a very important note: english isn't my first language and I'm trying my best with the proofreading but if you ever come across with a mistake (of any kind) please do let me know, I'd be so glad x

            Leigh-Anne was definitely the most upset about the whole situation since she was the closest to Waliyha but Louis couldn’t help to feel like it was the hardest for him. He was the Luna of the Pack and because they weren’t acknowledged about the Pack or its basis, he couldn’t protect what was given for him to provide safety. Even Perrie insisted that it wasn’t Louis’ fault but it was still hard to swallow or move on. He was feeling guilty about not being able to protect, not thinking of she could’ve been harmed when she went by herself. They should’ve insisted for her to stay with them. _We didn’t know, though,_ a part of him was saying to soothe his gut feeling down. It wasn’t helping. Nothing was helping.

            Other than failing at his role on the Pack, he felt sick with the number of losses he had in a short period of time. By no means was he close with Waliyha, he wasn’t sure if he knew anything about her –which made him feel even more upset. It shouldn’t have been his fault that never got a chance to get to know her. Everything felt like an excuse for him, his other side was trying to be nice to him but he knew he didn’t deserve any empathy on this situation.

            It hurt even more when they didn’t know to organize her funeral. It had been already two weeks and they were all over the place, apart from each other with a distance which was getting further away within the time taken. Louis knew they should’ve stuck together, especially after the incident Waliyha had because she was alone. Soon after, though, he realized everyone but Louis in the Pack had a company. Harry took extra shifts in the tea shop to be with Niall more and Leigh-Anne seemed to get even closer with Perrie due to the vulnerability she had after the loss. Clearly, Louis had no one. Now that he was thinking about it, he never had someone beside him. It was like the first time he arrived at Yorkshire, one more piece of him missing this time. He only had his mother. It wasn’t his mother’s fault that they were moving around and Louis wasn’t able to form friendships or relationships. She had a reason to all of this as she explained in the letter.

            His aunt was getting worried about Louis since he seemed to be even sadder than the time he’d first arrived at the house. He was avoiding the pain and thoughts back at the time, for him, it would be the best not to pay attention who was lost and how he was lonely. His mother was his favourite person in the world, now he realized that she was the only person who was beside him too.

            Aside from all of this, Louis also couldn’t help to feel broken over Harry. He knew it made him feel guiltier since Harry was spending time with his boyfriend. He was acknowledged that Waliyha wasn’t only close with Leigh-Anne but with Niall too. No matter how responsible Louis felt about being the Luna and not being able to protect Waliyha, Niall’s pain was closer to home.

            It was his own fault too, really. He pushed everyone around him. Harry tried to call him the day after but he didn’t feel like talking to him. He knew Harry would tell him nice and soothing things which for him, he didn’t deserve at all. For the worst part, Louis also knew that hearing Harry’s voice would be enough to get calmer. Most of the time, it didn’t matter what Harry was speaking to him, the words Harry was saying would turn into clouds around Louis’ head like a lullaby to make him sleep. One night, though, Louis almost called him back. His hand was itching to press the call button because he desperately needed to talk to him –not to talk with anyone or to someone, he needed Harry. Louis made himself cry until he locked his phone to put away.

            It was after some time had passed since Waliyha’s loss when Perrie finally decided to look at Louis’ face. It felt somehow harder when they were around each other since they found the body together in the woods. Leigh-Anne was the most upset but it could be said that Perrie and Louis were the most shaken up by the events.

            “I heard Zayn’s back.”

            Louis frowned, he wasn’t feeling like doing one of Perrie’s play of words until he’d get an actual answer. “Who the hell is Zayn?”

            Perrie straightened up her posture instead of answering what Louis asked to her. “You didn’t see him around the house?”

            Louis sighed, rolling his eyes, “I don’t even know who he is.”

            “I heard he was back, he should’ve been around and you’d have seen him.”

            “Can you just tell me who he is, though?” Louis asked, feeling the most impatient he ever felt with Perrie.

            “Well,” Perrie said. “He’s the brother of Waliyha.”

            Louis got confused. “I thought she had no family other than her grandmother.”

            “Because she didn’t,” Perrie answered right away. “Until now.”

            “Does that even matter _now_? After she dies, I mean?”

            Perrie didn’t seem to agree –or just catch on for the actual context. “So you didn’t see him?” She kept on asking. “Dark hair? Dark skin?”

            Louis’ eyes grew after he thought for a while, the realization hit him straight. “Is he the guy I saw lighting something on fire back in the yard?”

            He didn’t even know if it would be appropriate to laugh at the Deja-vu he’s having with this. It was just like the first time he’d seen Waliyha from his window. And now he had a chance to see his brother from his room window too. But he didn’t even realize he could be related to Waliyha.

            “But what did you mean by saying she didn’t have one until now?” Louis asked curiously, eager to know further.

            Perrie shrugged. “He left Yorkshire two years ago, didn’t even announce it,” she said simply, it was clearly a big deal to her but she tried her best to stay in her cool. “Nobody saw it coming, even Waliyha. I’m not sure if she’d be happy to see him again, actually. Or she’d want to have him in her funeral.”

            “Is this your personal opinion or-”

            “Zayn is nothing to me,” Perrie cut her eyes at Louis. “He’s nothing but dead to me. He’s been that way since he left here and he will always be.”

            Louis didn’t say anything further, just carefully listened to the the professor who just barged into the room, and didn’t dare to take a glance at Perrie since he was feeling her eyes on him already. She was clearly in denial and Zayn meant everything to her, before and after he left –at the moment too. But she wasn’t the person he was going to ask all of his curious questions to. Maybe Harry was.

*

            Louis didn’t mean to catch up on Des Styles at all, although he politely greeted Louis so it felt like he had no other choice –not like he was complaining too. “Hi, Mr. Styles,” Louis smiled at him, stopping himself from stepping more and going to the parking lot.

            “How are you doing?” Des asked him, he seemed both worried and sincere while asking.

            Louis didn’t know the exact answer himself, he shrugged after not making out what he’d tell Mr. Styles at all. “Trying to keep up, I guess.” He coughed uncomfortably.

            “I could only imagine,” Des answered him, feeling as uncomfortable as Louis did. “Were you close to Waliyha?”

            Louis dropped his eyes down. “Well, didn’t get a proper chance but that’s not an excuse.”

            Des Styles didn’t seem to agree, shook his head at him. “It wasn’t your fault, though.”

            It actually was and that’s what bothered him the most. He felt stupid about assuming their supervised powers would somehow be individual.

            “If there’s anything I can do,” Des talked to him again, after Louis didn’t answer for a while. “Just come by my office and I will try my best.”

            He tried his best to put a genuine smile on his face, “That means a lot, thank you, Mr. Styles.”

            “Dad?” Harry’s voice distracted them. “What are you doing?”

            Des didn’t seem to break his smile off from his face. “I was just asking how Louis was doing after the loss.”

            Harry didn’t say anything further, just waited for his father to leave him and Louis alone. Des looked at Louis again, “Well, it was nice talking to you.”

            Louis cleared his throat, avoiding to look at Harry. “You too, sir.”

            Des and Harry exchanged a look with each other while Louis wasn’t sure what to do, it didn’t take too long when Des left the two alone. Harry then took a glance over Louis and his whole figure, he seemed mad and Louis hoped it wasn’t for him.

            “Did he bother you?” Harry asked finally.

            Louis didn’t know what to answer at first, because he didn’t expect Harry to ask something like that. “What?” He first asked. “No! He was actually offering any kind of help that he could do.”

            “Hm,” Harry was suspicious over the idea, almost like he couldn’t believe his father offered help to Louis. “And nothing else?”

            Louis frowned, breath caught up in his throat. “Why would he say anything else?”

            Harry was still scowling at Louis, not saying anything to him. “I feared if he was bothering you.”

            “Well, he wasn’t,” Louis spat out, feeling annoyed by Harry. “And I’ve been doing okay, thanks for asking.” He tried to go away until Harry stopped him, pulling him by the wrist, he gently stopped Louis.

            “I’m sorry,” Harry said in a low voice, eyes almost pleaded for Louis to look up. “I was just concerned… about the wrong thing.”

            He pulled his wrist out of Harry’s hold, not getting used to feeling electrified with each touch they share no matter what. “It’s alright,” he answered to his apology. “How have you been doing?”

            “Not so good, Niall was far worse than me, though,” he answered. He bit inside his cheek while looking intensely at Louis’ face and the way his expression quickly changed by the subject. “It was distracting, I guess. I didn’t have my own time to mourn properly.”

            Louis nodded his head, he asked how Harry was doing so he had no right to be offended by his answer containing a subject upon Niall. “Since her brother has arrived at the town, we should start up planning the funeral then.”

            Harry nodded his head until he stopped all of his movements, he quickly looked up to Louis, eyes wide. “Zayn is back?”

            Louis was more confused than he already was. He didn’t get what _this Zayn’s_ deal was and why everyone was freaking out about him? Perrie clearly had a thing for him but now, Harry was into Zayn too? Niall wasn’t already enough and now someone called Zayn? “I saw him from my window, Perrie told me it was Zayn.”

            “She saw her too?”

            “No,” Louis answered. “I told her I saw some random guy from my window and she assumed it was Zayn.”

            Harry didn’t say anything for a while looking down at his feet, he bit his bottom lip in worry.

            It all made Louis feel even more confused than he was before. “What’s the deal with Zayn?” Louis asked in a little voice. Louis wasn’t sure if Harry was the right one to ask anymore after observing the change of look on his face. “What did he do?”

            Harry clenched his teeth, sharpening his jawline even more. “He should’ve been dead.”

            “Dead!” Louis almost yelled. “What are you talking about? We just lost Waliyha and you’re saying his brother should’ve died as well!”

            “Well, he should’ve, not like it would make a difference whatsoever.”

            Louis was frowning now. “I don’t understand,” he told Harry, getting closer to lose his patience.

            “He left here without telling anyone,” Harry explained simply. “And we thought he’d never come back, might as well died too.”

            It wasn’t done there, of course. “Seems like there is more to tell since it’s bugging you so much, though.”

            Harry sighed, scratching his nose before looking up at Louis. “My dad and I helped him out with his tuition fee since he and Waliyha had no family to fund their education. Niall even let him work at the teashop part time to also provide for himself. It was going well until it wasn’t,” he said in a bitter tone. Harry’s whole face scrunched up with the memory, feeling like he was reliving all of what happened while telling. “He insisted to throw a big party at the campus, not only for the university but people from other universities as well. It seemed like a good idea when you first think about it, because if we would do all of the parties for the Leeds, how would Niall enjoy too?”

            Louis nodded although he couldn’t agree with what Harry was telling him. He knew Harry was right but his jealousy didn’t seem to mind a party without seeing Niall and Harry together.

            “We only thought only people from other universities would come, students who are either undergraduates or postgraduates,” Harry continued to tell the story. “Well, even if the graduates would come, it wouldn’t be a problem. However, the group of people that came to the party absolutely trashed everything inside. At first, we were all too shocked to stop it or to make any movements towards. Everything happened in a second. The whole room nearly collapsed on all of us.”

            Louis nodded his head again before speaking, “How is this related to Zayn, though? You thought it was a good idea to bring other students at first too.”

            Harry breathed through his nose deeply before going on. “They were Zayn’s friends. Nobody from other universities did something similar but those disgusting creatures.”

            “He was friends with them?”

            Harry licked his lip, getting closer to Louis, engaged in the story. “Yorkshire is a beautiful place but as every good thing has a bad side, this place contains creatures like these too. Half-breeds who are so full of themselves that they are delusional enough to think of themselves as full-breeds.”

            “That’s why they trashed the party?”

            “The cafeteria of the campus and some of the accommodation buildings too.”

            Louis’ breath hitched in his throat. “There are special ones for omegas. Did… Um… Or could they also-”

            It was a moment of silence before Harry answered to his uncompleted question. “They did. Many omegas were harassed that night. The reason behind is more disgusting than what they did to them. _It wasn’t just that they were weak creatures like omegas_ , according to them. _But they were also half-breed omegas._ ”

            Louis suddenly felt offended at the statement, even though Harry wasn’t the one who claimed those despiteful words. He didn’t know what to say, he wasn’t even sure if he was glad to know the deal about Zayn after all. “It sounds horrifying,” he finally spoke in a low voice, not having enough courage to have an eye contact with Harry for the time being.

             Harry nodded, looking down like Louis did. “It was. It still is horrifying to think about it.”

            “Then he just left?” He cleared his throat, trying to shake off the uncomfortable feeling which settled onto his chest.

            “He took no responsibility as usual,” Harry spoke bitterly, he was smiling but Louis was aware of how it wasn’t actually a smile. “Then left for good, I’d say.”

            Louis frowned at him then. “As usual? He did more than this?”

            Harry sighed, he seemed like he didn’t want to talk about Zayn any further and Louis understood. “Like I said. He left for good until now. So, I hope you understood why I’m so crossed about him coming back.”

            “Y-yes,” Louis spoke quickly, feeling mad at himself for making Harry miserable. “I’m sorry for pushing you so hard to tell me what had happened. But I needed to know.”

            He nodded at Louis with soft eyes. “It’s okay, Lou, of course, you deserve an explanation.” Harry tried to politely smile at Louis as he put his hands in his pocket, awkwardly standing in front of him. “So he’s back, huh?”

            Louis bit his lip, mind full of thoughts. “Not for good, though, I guess.”

            “I assume we should really start organizing the funeral then.”

            There was a stop in Louis’ motions and Harry caught on it. Louis hardly swallowed through his very dry throat. “We have to ask him too.”

            “What’s wrong?” Harry frowned, getting even closer to Louis’ figure. “If you don’t want to talk to him, I can talk to him.”

            It was heavy in Louis’ chest, he didn’t know how to speak up with the tight knot in his throat. “It’s not about Zayn.”

            “Then what’s it about, Lou?”

            “It’s just…” Louis took a deep breath through his mouth before trying to go on again. “I didn’t even have a funeral for my own mother.”

            Harry’s eyes softened as they were now looking very sad at him. Louis didn’t want any pity –especially from Harry who seemed to be the closest to Louis and his feelings. He didn’t say anything before he pulled Louis into his arms. It was a type of motion taken before thinking properly. However, Louis wasn’t complaining since Harry’s hold was pretty warm and soothed his anxiety down.

            Harry’s smell, voice and everything about him felt overwhelming at the moment. He didn’t even want to think about the pet names which seemed to slip through Harry’s mouth easily. Louis couldn’t contain the whines which were coming from him as Harry put his hand on Louis’ head to push him closer to his chest. He scented Louis gently while shushing the little cries. “I’m here,” he kept insisting to crying Louis.

            “Thank you,” Louis could say after his whines were completely down. He was sniffling into Harry’s chest, feeling the heartbeat right next to his cheek. It was beating fast as Harry’s chest was rising up and going down rapidly. He took a deep breath through his nose, took a good sniff at Harry for the last time before he released his arms from the Alpha. “Thank you,” he said again.

            Harry didn’t seem to mind at all, looked deeply into Louis’ blue eyes. Louis was feeling unsure of everything and the intense stare he was having with Harry made everything even more confusing. _Shit._ What would Niall think if he saw them being this close? Louis looked down at his feet while biting down on his bottom lip, feeling nervous again.

            It was easy to catch in the air since their figures were already close to each other. “You’re tense again,” Harry stated. He didn’t seem like he was uncomfortable by the anxious Omega smell around him but he was concerned about how Louis felt and it made Louis want to cry and stress more about. “Hold me again.”

            It was so unusual to hear. Louis’ ears rang within Harry’s plea. An Alpha wanting to be held instead of wanting to hold their Omega close –not their Omega, an Omega, because Louis wasn’t his Omega and they weren’t mates. The thoughts filled up Louis’ mind which seemed endless to think about but Louis didn’t give a single thought on doing what Harry asked for before holding him tightly. He held the Alpha so close that if they weren’t closer before, Louis was practically drowned with Harry’s scent now. “Okay,” he simply said, voice muffled under Harry’s chest. There was much more to stress about now but both of them seemed to relax. Louis didn’t know if it was because of his inner Omega or just because of his feelings towards Harry –it didn’t matter. They were now both relaxed and Louis couldn’t seem to remind himself about Niall again.

*

            It was a long day. Louis had less amount of lectures than usual but the breaks between lecture hours were long so he had no other choice than to kill time in the campus. He didn’t see Harry later on the day since their buildings were far away from each other and Harry probably had a busier schedule for the day. Since Louis had free time, his mind didn’t hold back from thinking about Harry nonstop. It was the talk he had with Harry, the way they held each other and his mind echoed the way Harry asked for Louis to hold him. He was unable to forget these moments but at the same time, he wasn’t sure if he would like to forget them if he could.

            He reached for the doorknob before finding the keys inside his bag. It wasn’t hard to sense the change in the environment when an unfamiliar scent went through his nose. He looked at his back before pulling the keys from the bag.

            Louis frowned at the man who stood right in front of him. He didn’t try to pull a kind smile and couldn’t find his voice to at least greet him. He felt like he was tied down with all he heard about the Alpha today.

            “Hello,” the dark-haired man smiled at him, footsteps getting closer and closer to Louis. “You must be the new neighbour.”

            Louis gave him a death stare, eyes went from down to up curiously as he observed the figure stood in front of him confidently. “Hi,” he spoke in a low tone, trying to get away from the man as soon as possible.

            “I’m Zayn,” the Alpha spoke, smirking at Louis as he reached his hand out to shake Louis’.

            He bit his lips and shook the man’s hand hesitantly, “I’m Louis.”

            “Hello, Louis,” Zayn repeated again with saying the Omega’s name this time. “I’m Waliyha’s brother, did you know her?”

            Louis gulped while looking down at his feet. “Very shortly. I moved here a while ago myself, never got a proper chance to engage with her.”

            Zayn nodded. “That’s unfortunate,” he replied to Louis’ concern, agreeing with him. “I just got back so I’m practically new around here as well.”

            There was something about the way he smirked at Louis with whatever he was speaking of and it made Louis more uncomfortable. Louis didn’t want to jump into conclusions but he could swear that Zayn was doing it on purpose as if he was enjoying how uncomfortable Louis could get with his words and glare. Louis felt filthy under the man’s deep gaze on himself. It wasn’t that overwhelming –not as overwhelming as the way dark haired smelled. It wasn’t a comforting scent and Zayn was actually anxious compared to the way he was standing in front of Louis so confidently. He didn’t say anything offensive or mean, yet, Louis felt defensive towards him.

            “I see that you’ve already heard stuff about me,” Zayn tried to smile when he realized how uncomfortable Louis was.

            Louis cocked his brow, “And how would you know that?”

            He shrugged, keeping his low gazing at Louis. “I can smell how anxious you are.”

            “No, you can’t,” Louis replied to him with a defensive attitude, more than before. He wasn’t aware of the pheromones which he was releasing to the air, he felt even dirtier with now self-conscious of the way he smelled towards the Alpha.

            Alpha smiled, Louis could swear that Zayn was actually enjoying how tense he was making Louis feel like. “Yes, I can and I do. You’re tense.”

            Louis released a deep breath through his nose, avoiding to look at Zayn. “How, though? You have superficial strength like a full-breed would have?”

            “Don’t you have too?”

            Louis wasn’t only self-conscious anymore, he was now conscious of everything around him. He carefully smelled the Alpha’s scent surrounding the environment, it didn’t take long before he realized how tense Zayn was as well. “Talk for yourself first before having any kind of judgement on how tense I seem.”

            It was a pausing moment for Zayn now. “You feel that?”

            “Don’t you too?” Louis mocked him, squinting his eyes at the figure in front him. He thought it was pathetic of Zayn, he was clearly nervous about his past and it seemed off for Louis to try to seem confident but then who was Louis to talk since he didn’t know any other coping mechanisms himself.

            “Well,” Zayn spoke, his face now sour. “I can sense many things about you but not that deep with all those walls you’ve built around you.”

            “So?” Louis asked while seeming bored with the conversation.

            Zayn smiled at him. “So,” he mocked Louis’ tone. “I wouldn’t feel bothered if you didn’t know anything about me too, but you do.”

            “And what if I do?” Louis asked him, feeling like he’s been challenged for something stupid.

            Zayn looked down, bit his lip before speaking up again. “It bothers me –my past bothers me. I know that you’re bothered by your own past and what you had as well if you have walls this high. It’s not fair that both of us are acknowledged about mine but not yours.”

            It was easy to understand Zayn now –where he was coming from with the way he talked to Louis. “How can you smell the way I feel?”

            “Just like you do,” Zayn simply answered to him while smirking.

            Louis frowned and then looked down at his feet, thinking deeply about how _he_ could smell the way Zayn felt. “The Pack?” He asked Zayn in a small voice, unsure of his suggestion to look up at him with curious eyes.

            Zayn nodded and repeated what Louis said. “The Pack.”

            “But,” Louis quickly jumped in. “But you aren’t a part of the Pack.”

            Zayn shook his head this time, still smiling, almost enjoying the way Louis was losing his mind. “I am because I’m Waliyha’s brother. Bloodline made me a part of your pack.”

            “You weren’t accepted or you weren’t there when we owned our necklaces,” Louis spoke to him in a high pitched voice. “The stones… They didn’t accept your being or existence.”

            Zayn seemed to think for a while before he reached for his pocket in his pants, he shuffled inside before pulling something out. The way Zayn was moving made Louis’ blood to froze, he almost tried to shield himself when Zayn finally released his hand from the pocket. It was hard to see what was between his fingers but then Louis understood. “This stone?” Zayn asked, eyes deeply looking into Louis’.

            Louis felt the way his eyes were burning at Zayn, unsure of the boiling feeling he felt inside out of protectiveness. “I don’t care if the stones accepted you or not,” He spoke in a low voice, he was clearly lying to Zayn without knowing the reason himself. “I’m the Luna of the Pack and you won’t be seen as accepted until I do so.”

            “And who determines that?” Zayn asked in a mocking manner, clearly not affected by Louis’ attitude towards him.

            “I do,” Louis shrugged, eyes pointing daggers at the Alpha in front of him. “And remember that I might be the only one who has a chance of accepting you in the whole pack.”

            Zayn didn’t say anything –he couldn’t. He was aware of the bad blood he had left behind in Yorkshire. It would be easy to convince Louis, Louis was aware of that too. However, Zayn wasn’t aware of Louis being acknowledged about the way his pack felt about Zayn and his existence. It was a challenge. It wasn’t in the nature of Omegas but Louis hoped that Zayn would see his difference to his own kind. He wasn’t only a strong Omega but he was the Luna, the leader.

            “Accept that I’m your leader and then we will see if I will find you worthy enough to accept.”

            It was a bluff. Zayn’s existence in the Pack belonged to the stones which had already accepted him. Louis was aware that Zayn already knew this, but still, he felt like he needed to point out he was the Luna. Nature of Omegas also included forgiveness and healing, it wasn’t only his priority to make him belong to the Pack as an Omega but as a leader too.

            Zayn didn’t flinch or looked unsure when he spoke up again. “Okay.”

            He left Louis alone shortly after without saying anything further. It left Louis more confused than he was before but he didn’t feel like he had the strength to think about it anymore. He unlocked the door behind him and got inside the house, he was able to hear the shuffling noises coming from the kitchen. “Hi!” he announced himself to his aunt.

            “Hello, love!” she called back from the kitchen. The sound of her steps was coming closer as Louis was putting his shoes to the side of the door. “How was your day?”

            “Oh, very tiring,” he spoke as he stood up to face her, he tried his best to pull up a smile. “What about yours?”

            She shrugged as she helped him with his bag. “My shift was shorter today so I’m pretty energized. I made dinner and I’m so glad you could join me this evening.”

            Louis couldn’t help but feel upset, she was right, after all. Since the day they found Waliyha in the woods, he had also distanced himself from his aunt who was only trying her best with him. “I would love to eat it, I’m so hungry.”

            “Well, come to the kitchen right away then.”

            Actually, he wasn’t that hungry but the smell of the food was enough to make his stomach jump with curiosity. He thanked his aunt when a plate was served in front of him, “This looks so delicious.”

            They talked a bit, Louis was breathless from munching the food down fast. “I saw you talking with Zayn at the fence,” she stated, looking up to his eyes with her brows high.

            “Uh, yes,” Louis spoke before taking a tissue to clean his mouth.

            “Did he come up to you?”

            Louis nodded firmly, feeling bothered with the sudden questionnaire towards him. “Yes, but he didn’t do anything to bother me.”

            Rach nodded at him back, putting his fork inside the now empty plate on the table. “Good,” she said in a tense tone, “Let me know if he does anything to bother you or make you uncomfortable.”

            Louis gulped before handing her the plates. “Well,” he said in an unsure manner. “He told me some stuff about his bloodline.”

            She froze at the very spot she was standing, “About the Pack?”

            “Yes,” he blurted out quickly. “Showed me the stone and everything, he’s been accepted into the Pack.”

            “I don’t think it just happened,” she frowned, thinking deeply while looking down. “It must’ve happened right when all of you bonded the Pack.”

            “But how?” Louis asked curiously with a very small amount of knowledge on the topic. “The stone was right there, at the house. He wasn’t nearby, I don’t think he was at least.”

            Rach shook her head at him, “He didn’t have to be –he doesn’t have to be. The stone and the bond will find him and it must’ve made the process faster when he arrived here again.”

            “So, he’s a part of the Pack as well,” Louis said, feeling uncomfortable again.

            “Yes,” she answered, looking as uncomfortable as Louis did. “You have to talk with your Pack about this, arrange a meeting with all of them including Zayn tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll be crossed to be tied with him but you’ve already bonded the Pack, there’s no turning back.”

            Louis nodded, avoiding to look at her face. It was hard to face her directly even though he knew that it was harder to face problems like these. Zayn claimed that he regretted his past but Louis couldn’t stop thinking about what Harry told him about Zayn. On the other hand, Zayn was right about past mistakes since everyone including Louis might’ve done something in the past that is regretted now. It didn’t justify what Zayn had done and how many people he had hurt but now that he was bonded to them as well –Louis had no other choice than to accept the fact that he has to protect Zayn as well as the Luna. There was really no turning back at this point.

*

            The night was sleepless for Louis again. He kept turning around in his bed, the presence of the Alpha being this close to his own environment bothered him even more. The lingering thoughts on his mind were enough to fill up his worries and it didn’t feel settled when he saw the Alpha from his window before going to sleep. He had quickly turned off the lights and get under the covers just like that. It was pointless to be afraid of Zayn but something about him was making Louis feel uncomfortable through his spine.

            Louis desperately wanted to call Harry and talk to him since he knew that Harry’s voice would do the wonders of soothing Louis down but it was very late. For that time of the night, he assumed Harry was with Niall and even if he wasn’t, he was probably asleep. His bond mark kept burning within the thought of Harry and Niall –it might’ve been jealousy too but Louis couldn’t accept the fact with the last drop of pride he had left in him.

            Before he left the house, he sent a text to everyone about the meeting he was planning to have in the evening. Everyone except for Perrie responded to him that they were available and would be there at that time. He sighed when he realized he had to talk to both Zayn and Perrie face to face about this. He looked outside the window before wearing his jacket and leaving the house, it was pouring rain so he quickly paced to the house right near.

            Louis hoped Zayn would open the door so that he would be quickly done with the whole situation.

            “Hi, Louis,” Zayn spoke as soon as he opened the door.

            It was hard not to flinch at his reaction but Louis remained still. “Hi,” he said in a low voice like someone was sleeping right next to them and he didn’t want to wake them up. “Can I speak to you shortly about something?”

            “Sure,” Zayn replied as he released his hand from the door, inviting Louis to come inside.

            “It will be very short,” Louis insisted to refuse the offer Zayn indicated through his manners. “I’m planning to have a meeting with the whole Pack about the situation.”

            Zayn smirked at him, brown eyes softly looking at Louis. “Which situation?”

            Louis showed no emotion with his straight face at Zayn. “About _your_ situation. They aren’t aware that you’re a part of the Pack.”

            “So, now, you’re accepting me into the Pack?” He cocked his brow with a facial expression which Louis would like to punch right in the middle.

            Louis sighed through frustration. “Are you going to be there or not? It’s about you, after all, they’re not going to be happy at all too.”

            “Sure, doll,” he said in a deep voice, still smiling at Louis and how angry he seemed to be.

            Louis tried to ignore the pet name, “It will be in this house which is abandoned-”

            Zayn cut him off, “I know the house and where it is.”

            Louis released the breath which was stuck in his throat from being cut off. “Okay. Then you will be there at five.”

            “Sure,” Zayn repeated again.

            Louis couldn’t find the strength to speak any further with Zayn so he left the fence without saying anything. His back was burning from Zayn’s gaze at him as if he was able to feel how deeply Zayn was looking at him. With the best he could, Louis kept himself from looking back at Zayn.

*

            “A meeting?” Perrie asked as she looked unimpressed at Louis.

            Louis frowned, “A meeting,” he repeated Perrie in a firm voice to make her understand better –even though he couldn’t get what Perrie wasn’t understanding. “This evening.”

            Perrie chuckled lowly at him, eyes going down on her notebooks laying on the desk they were sitting right behind. “About _him._ ”

            “Of course it’s about him,” Louis blurted out, patience running out now. “Did you listen to me at all? He’s a part of the Pack and we have to talk about it!”

            Perrie squinted her blue eyes at him, “You like him.”

            It didn’t sound like a question nor a proposition which made Louis’ breath hitch deep inside his throat, he didn’t know what to say, “No?”

            The question in his tone made Perrie arch her brow at him. “Hm.”

            “I don’t! I don’t like him,” Louis spoke in a higher voice now. “I don’t have to prove it to you because I already know myself that I dislike him. I’m not happy about him being included in the Pack at all.”

            It took a while before Perrie said anything, didn’t even show any facial expressions towards Louis. “Sure,” she simply said, clearly not convinced on what Louis just told him. Louis wanted to know about why she would think something like that but he knew that if he would push it any further, it would look like he actually liked Zayn.

            “Please tell me that you’ll be joining now,” Louis talked again with begging eyes.

            Perrie seemed to like the idea of Louis begging to her, pulled up a sneaky smirk before answering to him, “Yeah, sure. But I hope it won’t take that long since my stomach wouldn’t be able to contain its components around him that much.”

            “You mean your slick or your panties?” Louis teased her before standing up from the chair right next to her. He left the classroom after taking one last glance at her stunned expression. Perrie didn’t expect something like this coming out of Louis’ mouth for sure but it was good that she didn’t seem upset or mad with the teasing comment because Louis meant no harm with it –he guessed.

*

            After Louis let his aunt know what he was leaving for the house, he wasn’t so surprised to find Zayn at the fence, right behind the door. He pulled himself back quickly, not wanting Zayn to see his stunned expression. What Perrie said to him was clearly out of jealousy but he didn’t also want Zayn to think about something like that.

            “What are you doing here?” Louis asked, hinting his feelings through a bored kind of tone in his voice.

            Zayn looked up when he heard Louis’ voice, it didn’t take long before his mouth pulled up into a smile as well. “Hi, Louis.”

            Louis ignored his greeting when he asked again, “What are you doing here, Zayn?”

            “I was waiting for you here,” Zayn explained while still smiling at Louis. “To go to the house together.”

            Louis arched his brow at him, couldn’t contain himself to not smile at Zayn. “I thought you already knew where it was?”

            “Yes,” Zayn said as his steps got closer to where Louis was standing. “But I thought it would be better if we’d go together, instead of going to the same direction with different vehicles.”

            “It would be fine,” Louis tried to say but Zayn cut him off.

            “To protect,” he insisted, smile now turned into a firm expression and deep stare directly into Louis’ eyes.

            Louis only nodded before he followed Zayn to his own car. Zayn didn’t ask for permission through words but Louis couldn’t help but feel like he had to give some kind of confirming expression for him to enter the car. The car ride was quiet but Louis knew it was weirder that it didn’t feel odd at all. He thought he would be uncomfortable sitting in a car alone with Zayn but it didn’t feel like that, he was actually glad that Zayn had offered him to be a company. The Alpha seemed to be reckless and careless, although it was the type of gesture Louis hadn’t expected from Zayn, it still meant a lot for Louis –and his inner Omega who couldn’t stop beaming inside him.

            When they arrived at the house, everyone was already there. Perrie didn’t seem surprised when she saw both of them entering the room at the same time, unlike Harry who seemed to be caught off guard with having both of their presences at once. Zayn didn’t leave Louis’ side as everyone kept staring at them, Louis was staring back at Harry but he couldn’t form words nor they would be able to come out of his mouth since his throat felt like it was tied up.

            “Shall we start?” Niall suggested after he sensed the tension in the room, trying to be over with it as quickly as possible.

            Louis appreciated the way Niall tried to help and cleared his throat before speaking up, “I agree,” he said, leaving Zayn’s side to go to the centre of the room. Zayn pulled up a chair to join everyone as they were seated. “The stones we’ve bonded our pack with have also accepted Zayn to be a part of the Pack since his bloodline is connected with Waliyha’s.”

            “Is that even possible?” Leigh-Anne blurted out with the given information.

            “I didn’t think it was possible,” Louis truthfully answered to her question. “But he has his own stone. My aunt assumes that he was already a part of the Pack, right after we were bonded, he was probably a part of us too because the bloodline directly carries its presence.”

            “Were you?” Harry asked as he nearly growled at the Alpha sitting across the room from him.

            Before Zayn could say anything, Louis cut both of them off, “It doesn’t matter now, does it?”

            Harry didn’t seem convinced, however, since everyone in the room kept themselves silent from discussing the topic, he didn’t say anything.

            “I know everyone had their past experiences with Zayn in somewhat way,” Louis spoke again, this time with a tight voice out of stress and anxiety. “But after the incident, we had experienced, I can’t let it happen again to _anyone_ in the Pack. And I know that some of you have doubts about me and my leadership with the Pack. I honestly couldn’t agree more since I’m also questioning my own but please, understand that we are all learning everything together. However, this doesn’t mean I won’t learn from the past mistakes and let them happen again. No, I promise all of you, I will do my best to not let us get hurt again –in any possible way.”

            “Are we done with _this_ , then?” Perrie asked out of patience.

            Louis cleared his throat again before looking at Harry who wasn’t okay with all of this at all but was holding himself back from saying anything –at least during the meeting and in front of everyone. “Yes, sure, if you guys don’t have any questions towards me.”

            Nobody spoke up as everyone was eyeing around.

            “Okay then,” Louis said as he tried to smile at the group of people. “Thank you all for coming. Please leave the woods with someone else right beside you.”

            Zayn stayed seated as everyone left their chairs to leave the room, clearly waiting for Louis to leave the house and go back. However, Harry was the first one to approach at Louis and he didn’t look happy at all. “Can we speak before I leave?”

            Louis eyed at Zayn before answering, letting Harry walk him over to a different empty room in the house. “Sure.”

            “What are you doing?” Harry asked out of nowhere.

            “Doing what I should’ve been doing!” He said in frustration, already tired with this discussion.

            Harry shook his head, “You’re protecting him.”

            “Harry, are you insane?” Louis said with a high-pitched tone, almost whining at the Alpha who was mad at him. “Didn’t you listen to me? I will do my best to protect this Pack and if he is a part of this Pack, then I will do whatever I have to do to protect him.”

            Harry chuckled, clearly not amused or happy at all. “Him? Really?”

            “He is a part of the Pack and as long as I’m the Luna of the Pack, I will be protecting him and everyone in it,” he almost spat at Harry while speaking up.

            “He is not worth to be protected.”

            Louis saw red with Harry’s sarcastic tone towards him. “I might be an Omega,” he growled deep in his throat, eyes now burning with tears which had just formed. “But I won’t hold back from fighting with you if I have to as well. You are clearly belittling me and my position in the Pack. Is it because you’re one of the only Alphas in the Pack but aren’t directly the leader?”

            “No,” Harry said, feeling horrified with how Louis could think of something like that about him. “I swear, no. I’m just uncomfortable with Zayn.”

            Louis breathed through his nose frustratingly. “Clearly. But I’m not asking you to go on a date with him. Just put up with your feelings and accept the fact that he’s now a part of this too. I’m uncomfortable as the Luna myself but I’m doing what I have to, so grow up and do your own part as well.”

            “My own part?” Harry asked as he squinted his eyes at the Omega. “Don’t tell me what to do, Louis,” he growled back at him.

            Louis gulped before undressing himself from the scarf around his neck, now inside the palms of his hands. It took a while before he could feel contained enough to look at Harry’s face, blinked a couple of times to get rid of the freshly formed tears. “I didn’t intend to tell you what to do, I’m sorry. I might be the Luna but I know I’m not in the position of demanding things,” he said in a smaller voice now. “But please respect my position and decisions, it would feel better if you’d be supporting me. And if you don’t, it’s okay too, I guess.” He pushed the scarf towards Harry after finishing what he just said.

            Harry didn’t know what to do when Louis handed him the scarf back. “You can keep it.”

            Louis shook his head, “I don’t need it, and I don’t want it. Keep it yourself.”

            When Louis left the old building, he found Zayn standing next to the car. He was smiling at Louis which Louis decided to ignore and move on. After they were both seated inside the car, Louis wished he wouldn’t see Harry and Niall leaving the house together with their arms folded to each other. Zayn must’ve sensed how Louis got upset with the couple walking up to Harry’s car, he didn’t speak through the whole ride to not bother Louis anymore –at least that’s what Louis wanted to believe about Zayn. He was annoying and knew all of the buttons he could push to make Louis mad, but there was also something about him which Louis couldn’t seem to understand.

*

_“Are you okay, though?” Niall insisted again now that they were inside Harry’s house, he watched Harry to put the scarf away somewhere which seemed to be in a careless manner._

_Harry shrugged, put Niall’s and his coat to the hanger before pulling his shoes out, “Why wouldn’t I be?”_

_Niall stood still at where he was, eyes folded in front of him tensely. “You seem tense,” he said in a curious voice. “Did you and Louis fight about something?” It wasn’t the end there, Harry knew Niall would’ve questioned for more. “Maybe about Zayn?”_

_“Why would you think that?” Harry answered Niall’s question with a question again._

_“You’ve never liked Zayn,” Niall said it like it was obvious –which it was. “And you seem to be very protective over Louis.”_

_Harry’s nostrils flared at the comment, feeling protective all of a sudden. “I’m not –at least not more protective than I am to any of the Pack members including you.”_

_Niall looked down, feeling like a fool. “Sure.”_

_“I’m telling the truth,” Harry insisted again, walking up close to Niall this time._

_“Are you?” Niall asked while looking into Harry’s greens._

_Niall couldn’t be sure about how they got to the point where they were staring at each other furiously, but Niall was sure that Harry was mad about what Niall had said about Louis and it actually hurt more. The hurting feeling replaced with the madness he was feeling, burning out in each cell of his body. But then Harry grabbed his face from the sides and pulled him closer, connected their lips and started to kiss him quickly until Niall responded to his kiss. Somehow Niall felt like this was just a way of Harry shutting him up, maybe ending the topic so that they wouldn’t have to discuss or deal with this._

_He felt Harry, slowly pushing towards the armchair, placed him carefully while making him lay down. Then took the place between Niall’s legs, Harry was top of Niall and currently busy with kissing him, but Niall somehow felt strange and stopped kissing him. Harry noticed it quickly to pull out and look at his face confused, "What's wrong?"_

_Niall really wanted him right now, Harry to take him and claim him as his. "Mark me."_

_Harry chuckled nervously as if what Niall just said was an uncomfortable joke to his face. Then tried to keep on kissing him as nothing happened or Niall didn't say anything._

_"I'm serious," Niall said, once again escaping from his kiss -which felt quite try hard if you would ask him. "I want you to mark me."_

_Harry shook his head, "Well, I'm not going to do that,” said while lightly laughing._

_Niall stood straight from the position he was under Harry, frowning. "Would you like to say why?"_

_Harry sighed, he really didn't want this conversation. "You know why."_

_"Why? Because we're not ready yet?" Niall said in a high voice, very pissed at Harry and the way he was treating him at that moment. "When we tried to back when we were 16, I understood somehow, we were both underage and took the action without thought. Our half-breed bodies were protecting us so the mark couldn’t stay.” He stood up from where he was laying down with Harry, feeling obnoxiously mad but couldn’t be sure if he was more upset with Harry or with himself._

_Harry didn’t look at him, not just in the eye but also avoided looking at his face as well. “We’re not ready, Niall.”_

_“By ‘we’ you mean ‘you’, I guess,” Niall exclaimed loudly. “Because I know that I’m fully ready to be bonded by you and you just make the responsibility of not feeling ready for both of ours. You’re not ready because you can’t get Louis off your mind.”_

_“Don’t make this about him,” Harry nearly growled which made Niall flinch and feel more upset than he already was. “Of course you’d say you feel ready and get crazy over the idea of being marked by me, you’re clearly jealous.”_

_Niall frowned, he couldn’t believe Harry or what he just said. “And would you mind taking a second to question why do I feel jealous of him?” He nearly spat while talking at him, an Omega raising his voice at an Alpha wouldn’t be acceptable but Harry somehow knew he was right as well. “I’m in the audience as well as the others in the pack since he moved here and both of you met. I’m watching you get closer to him every single day, every day more and more.”_

_“I’m not going to discuss this,” Harry said while standing up from the couch as Niall did earlier._

_Niall nodded furiously. “I agree, let’s not and break this shit up already, right?”_

_“What?” Harry said, his voice was almost choked because he wasn’t sure if he heard Niall correctly._

_“You heard me,” Niall said, his voice was shaking. “You don’t want to discuss or admit anything you’re doing and how clearly you’re in love with Louis and don’t make me forget everything about destiny stuff too.”_

_Harry’s jaw clenched. “How do you know that?”_

_Niall shook his head, trying to keep his tears from falling. “It doesn’t matter now, does it?” He said, voice sounding almost like he’s chuckling. “You can’t even deny it or even try to deny it, all of this is just a big fat fucking joke in my face.”_

_“No, please,” Harry said, he was about to cry, feeling anxious about not having control over anything that was happening around._

_“I think we should break up, Harry,” Niall released his tears which he’s been holding back since the start of the conversation. “I somehow don’t blame you for your feelings, to Louis and not having any for me, and general. It doesn’t change the fact that it hurts but… I’ll feel better about being in the audience, watching the live show of you and him.”_

_Harry shook his head quickly, hand trying to reach over Niall. “Niall, listen to me, please,” He said, choking between his sobs. “I love you.”_

_“Not the way you love him, and it’s alright,” Niall tried to say it as much as he could until he made himself believe. “You love the idea of having me in your life and I don’t blame you for that as well because I can’t lie and say that we didn’t get used to each other over all of these years-”_

_“Then don’t end it,” Harry pleaded. “Please don’t end it.”_

_Niall clenched his jaw, ready to leave his apartment. “That would be fucking unfair to me, and if you really love me like you’re saying, let me end it.”_

_Harry couldn’t say anything, he felt ashamed. He hated himself and all of the feelings inside him but mostly, he hated the fact that he hurt Niall. He was his best friend after all, and he couldn’t be the best for him as he deserved. “Niall, I’m-”_

_Niall shook his head, trying to smile as if everything was okay. “Goodbye, Harry.”_

_Then Harry was left alone in the room, the way the house felt emptier than his feelings scared him. Niall was right, they got so used to each other and having each other in their lives, they didn’t realize it became the only reason that they didn’t leave or break up with each other. He wanted to call Louis but then realized how angry he was at Harry to and how wrong it would be, he clearly needed Louis but it’d be like using him and Harry knew that Louis didn’t deserve this. So he just crawled up in his bed and waited for himself to fall asleep, tried to avoid cuddling the scarf of his which Louis gave back. He could smell the strong Omega scent from the living room and it made everything feel more incorrect than they already were._


End file.
